Posted on 09/14/2014 8:52:30 PM PDT by jonatron
Japan’s nuclear watchdog has given the green light for two reactors to restart but the operator still has to persuade local communities they are safe. sendai-plant
Widespread anti-nuclear sentiment has simmered in Japan ever since an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 caused meltdowns at the Fukushima power plant, sparking the worst atomic disaster since Chernobyl.
The country’s nuclear reactors were switched off after the catastrophe. Two reactors were briefly restarted last year but all of Japan’s nuclear plants are currently offline.
The go-ahead from the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) for two reactors at the Sendai plant (pictured) in southern Japan comes after it issued a more than 400-page safety report in July and follows a month-long public consultation period.
But any restart is unlikely before the year end as the operator, Kyushu Electric Power, is also required to get two more NRA approvals for other facilities at the site.
More challenging, perhaps, is gaining the consent of communities living near the plant in south-western Kagoshima prefecture, who must sign off on the restarts before they can happen.
Much of the job of convincing a sceptical public will fall on the shoulders of new industry minister Yuko Obuchi.
“If people say they are worried, I think it is only natural. If you are a mother, I think it is a kind of feeling that everyone has,” Obuchi said soon after being appointed as Japan’s first female industry minister. “The central government must offer a full explanation to these sentiments.”
(Excerpt) Read more at fukushimaupdate.com ...
What could possibly go wrong?
Hord my beer and watch this ... hai!
Importing Russian natural gas or Chinese coal for electricity production is a much better option.
Japan is rich enough to build new Gen 3+ reactors. These old ones need to be scrapped.
Godzilla!?!?!
If there is any problem getting them started, just pull up a pickup and hook them up with jumper cables.
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