Japan PM says 2 nuke plants must restart
Source: Agencies |
June 9, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
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JAPAN'S leader appealed to the nation yesterday to accept that two of the nuclear reactors shut down after the Fukushima disaster must be restarted to protect the economy and people's livelihoods.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said the government has taken ample safety measures to ensure the two reactors in western Japan would not leak radiation if an earthquake or tsunami as severe as last year's should strike them.
All 50 of Japan's workable reactors are offline for maintenance and safety concerns since the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, swept into a coastal plant in Fukushima and sparked the world's second-worst nuclear disaster.
The two reactors at the Ohi nuclear plant are the first two ready to resume generating power, but the public has shown great concern that government failures worsened last year's crisis and may recur.
Nuclear energy is crucial for Japanese society, Noda said in a news conference broadcast live. The government wants the reactors to be operational to avoid a summertime energy crunch.
"We should restart the Ohi No. 3 and No. 4 reactors in order to protect people's livelihoods," Noda said. "Japanese society cannot survive if we stop all nuclear reactors or keep them halted."
Noda said a 15 percent power deficit is expected in the western region, a level he called "severe."
Without nuclear energy, utilities would have to rely more heavily on expensive fossil fuel, which would increase electricity bills and financial strain on small businesses.
Local consent is not required for restarting the reactors, though government ministers have promised to gain understanding from the prefecture.
Noda's speech possibly removes the last obstacle before a resumption of the Ohi reactors. The Fukui governor made Noda's public appeal conditional to his consent for the startup. With the governor's consent, Noda is expected to give the go ahead as early as next week, so the restart could take place within days.
The government issued new safety guidelines in April to address residents' worries. In response, Kansai Electric Power Co submitted its safety plans for two reactors at the plant, saying the full upgrades will take up to three years.
Some crucial measures to secure cooling functions and prevent meltdowns as in Fukushima were installed, but more than one-third of the necessary upgrades on the list are still incomplete.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said the government has taken ample safety measures to ensure the two reactors in western Japan would not leak radiation if an earthquake or tsunami as severe as last year's should strike them.
All 50 of Japan's workable reactors are offline for maintenance and safety concerns since the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, swept into a coastal plant in Fukushima and sparked the world's second-worst nuclear disaster.
The two reactors at the Ohi nuclear plant are the first two ready to resume generating power, but the public has shown great concern that government failures worsened last year's crisis and may recur.
Nuclear energy is crucial for Japanese society, Noda said in a news conference broadcast live. The government wants the reactors to be operational to avoid a summertime energy crunch.
"We should restart the Ohi No. 3 and No. 4 reactors in order to protect people's livelihoods," Noda said. "Japanese society cannot survive if we stop all nuclear reactors or keep them halted."
Noda said a 15 percent power deficit is expected in the western region, a level he called "severe."
Without nuclear energy, utilities would have to rely more heavily on expensive fossil fuel, which would increase electricity bills and financial strain on small businesses.
Local consent is not required for restarting the reactors, though government ministers have promised to gain understanding from the prefecture.
Noda's speech possibly removes the last obstacle before a resumption of the Ohi reactors. The Fukui governor made Noda's public appeal conditional to his consent for the startup. With the governor's consent, Noda is expected to give the go ahead as early as next week, so the restart could take place within days.
The government issued new safety guidelines in April to address residents' worries. In response, Kansai Electric Power Co submitted its safety plans for two reactors at the plant, saying the full upgrades will take up to three years.
Some crucial measures to secure cooling functions and prevent meltdowns as in Fukushima were installed, but more than one-third of the necessary upgrades on the list are still incomplete.
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