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OK given to restart nuclear plant in Japan

A local governor in Japan has given final approval to restart a nuclear power plant in southern Japan, the first to resume operations in the country under new safety rules imposed in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi meltdowns caused by a tsunami.

Kagoshima Gov. Yuichiro Ito said restarting two reactors at the Sendai Nuclear Power Station would go ahead even though some local residents have concerns.

The announcement marks the final step before the Sendai reactors are expected to go back online early next year. Japanese regulators in July gave them passing grades under safety requirements that factored in the lessons of Fukushima Dai-ichi meltdowns.

All 48 workable reactors in Japan have been off line for safety checks or repairs since the 2011 disaster, except for two that have temporarily operated for about a year. Sendai would be the first to restart under safety rules imposed after the Fukushima crisis.

The plant's host town and overseeing city have already voted to restart the plant. The governor's endorsement completes the required process of local consent.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been pushing to restart some of the 48 reactors, saying a prolonged shutdown hurts the economy in Japan, which is heavily dependent on imported sources of energy.




 

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