survivors the quest reactor control program

“But if backed up by safety regulations legally deemed adequate, one has to admit there would be little reason the regulation should not be implemented. The public wants the country to move away from nuclear power as soon as possible, let alone an extension in the life of nuclear reactors,” said Hiroshi Takahashi, a research fellow at the Fujitsu Research Institute. “Public sentiment is for Japan to end the use of nuclear power.

Twelve other reactors date back to the 1970s, the two oldest having been operating since 1970.

In a rare protest, a group of citizen observers delayed a hearing at the trade ministry in which experts were expected to approve the nuclear watchdog’s review of stress test results from Fukui prefecture’s Ohi reactors. Public anxiety sparked by the disaster has prevented the restart of many reactors shut for routine checks, and only five of the nation’s 54 reactors remain online, prompting utilities to import more fossil fuels to bridge the gap. The government said it aims to introduce the 60-year limit a year from now as part of a revision of laws regulating nuclear plant operators after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled reactor cooling systems in the Fukushima Daiichi complex, triggering meltdowns and radiation leaks that led to mass evacuations and widespread contamination.

The decision marks the first time Japan has set a limit on a reactor’s maximum lifespan and comes while it debates an energy strategy that is expected to give a greater role to renewables. The crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is seen from bus windows in Fukushima prefecture, November 12, 2011.

Survivors the quest reactor control program