Japan’s idled nuclear reactors need to pass new safety assessment
Jul. 11, 2011
Japan's nuclear power reactors must undergo additional safety assessments dubbed ''stress tests,'' and those now idled for regular checkups must pass the first stage of the tests in order to restart, the government said Monday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said at a news conference that the tests will be carried out in two stages, taking into account standards proposed by the European Union in the wake of the crisis triggered at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant by the massive earthquake and tsunami in March.
Edano said the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan will play a major role in conducting the tests. As the commission is ''an independent'' body, unlike the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, the government cannot say when the screenings will begin and finish, he said.
The decision is almost certain to ensure that none of the 35 idled nuclear reactors will resume this month and there will likely be a great impact on Japan's power supply crunch this summer.
The tests are aimed at assessing whether 54 Japanese nuclear reactors are capable of withstanding the kind of catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that ravaged the country's northeast on March 11.
The first review will analyze to what extent nuclear plants ready to be restarted can tolerate the damage that could be incurred under such extraordinary circumstances.
The second stage of the tests will be more comprehensive and carried out on all nuclear plants. Depending on the results, Japanese nuclear reactors that are now in operation could be suspended.
The announcement from Edano came after Prime Minister Naoto Kan added to the public confusion about Japan's nuclear policy by abruptly ordering last week the carrying out of additional safety tests akin to Europe's.
Prior to the order, the government had said the reactors currently staying offline were safe to be resumed, citing reviews conducted by the nuclear safety agency under the wing of the industry ministry.
Kan, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda and other Cabinet members had been inconsistent about conditions for their restarts, leading local leaders in Saga Prefecture to retract or put off decisions to approve the rebooting of two reactors at the Genkai nuclear power plant.
Without the confusion, the Genkai reactors were to have been the first to be reactivated since the 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami triggered the crisis at the Fukushima plant.
The need for ''stress tests'' was touched on in late June during a ministerial meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which was convened in the wake of the Fukushima crisis.
(Distributed by Kyodo News on July 11, 2011)
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said at a news conference that the tests will be carried out in two stages, taking into account standards proposed by the European Union in the wake of the crisis triggered at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant by the massive earthquake and tsunami in March.
Edano said the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan will play a major role in conducting the tests. As the commission is ''an independent'' body, unlike the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, the government cannot say when the screenings will begin and finish, he said.
The decision is almost certain to ensure that none of the 35 idled nuclear reactors will resume this month and there will likely be a great impact on Japan's power supply crunch this summer.
The tests are aimed at assessing whether 54 Japanese nuclear reactors are capable of withstanding the kind of catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that ravaged the country's northeast on March 11.
The first review will analyze to what extent nuclear plants ready to be restarted can tolerate the damage that could be incurred under such extraordinary circumstances.
The second stage of the tests will be more comprehensive and carried out on all nuclear plants. Depending on the results, Japanese nuclear reactors that are now in operation could be suspended.
The announcement from Edano came after Prime Minister Naoto Kan added to the public confusion about Japan's nuclear policy by abruptly ordering last week the carrying out of additional safety tests akin to Europe's.
Prior to the order, the government had said the reactors currently staying offline were safe to be resumed, citing reviews conducted by the nuclear safety agency under the wing of the industry ministry.
Kan, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda and other Cabinet members had been inconsistent about conditions for their restarts, leading local leaders in Saga Prefecture to retract or put off decisions to approve the rebooting of two reactors at the Genkai nuclear power plant.
Without the confusion, the Genkai reactors were to have been the first to be reactivated since the 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami triggered the crisis at the Fukushima plant.
The need for ''stress tests'' was touched on in late June during a ministerial meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which was convened in the wake of the Fukushima crisis.
(Distributed by Kyodo News on July 11, 2011)
