Approval for Failed Nuclear Operator

Nuclear Regulation Authority approved on Wednesday the draft of judgment for resumption of Reactor #6 and #7 in Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata owned by Tokyo Electric Power Company. It would be the first nuclear reactor of TEPCO to be restarted after unprecedentedly severe accident in First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in 2011. It will also be the first attempt for a boiling water reactor, the same type as the ones broken in Fukushima. Nuclear Regulation Authority is a nuclear promotion authority now.

The inspection lasted for four years since TEPCO’s application in September 2013. The company assumed that the possible earthquake around the plant would be with 2,300 gal of strength at most and tsunami of 8.3 meters high. The protection measures will cost ¥680 billion. Smaller than pressurized water reactor, BWR is likely to have high pressure inside containment vessel of nuclear reactor. TEPCO is going to set the device for filtered venting or reserving system for cooling down in an accident.

Chairman of NRA, Toyoshi Fuketa, who replaced former chairman last month, remembers the inspection as difficult decision without precedent. The authority interviewed to TEPCO managers for four times in these four months to hear their idea for security. Former Chairman, Shun-ichi Tanaka, visited the plant to reconfirm the workers’ mind on security.

NRA considered reliability of TEPCO as an operator of nuclear power plant as well as technological requirement. TEPCO has caused the severe accident in Fukushima in spite of their recognition of possible great tsunami coming after great earthquake. The people in Japan are still doubtful about capability of TEPCO as nuclear operator. The evacuees around Fukushima plant filed lawsuits against TEPCO on its failure in safety measures.

“Having deliberated discussion, I am confident with our decision,” told Fuketa in a press conference. NRA is going to issue the official approval two or three months later. Then TEPCO will advance to resumption of reactors’ operation. The company will survive its crisis of bankruptcy with improvement of management after resuming nuclear power generation.

Having elected by anti-nuclear power voters, Governor of Niigata, Ryuichi Yoneyama, is still reluctant to agree on the resumption, which is legally necessary. The populist Party of Hope upholds a policy of shutting down all the nuclear reactors in Japan by 2030. One common notion in Japan is that nuclear power generation does not fit to this small and volcanic island country.