Getting there

April 9, 2012

Operator of Ohi nuclear plant submits safety plan

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120409_23.html

The operator of 2 nuclear reactors on the Japan Sea coast has submitted a safety action plan to the industry minister as a step toward restarting the reactors.

Kansai Electric Power Company President Makoto Yagi handed the plan to Industry Minister Yukio Edano on Monday.

The government had asked the utility to come up with a timeline for implementing the government's new safety standards as a precondition for restarting the reactors. The 2 reactors at the company's Ohi power plant are currently offline for safety checks.

After meeting with Edano, Yagi said the company's accident-prevention measures are aimed at preventing incidents such as the disaster at Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Plant. He said he hopes to get government approval soon to restart the reactors.

The plan includes the installation in 2015 of vents equipped with filters to scrub radioactive materials from steam. The vents are used to release pressure from the containment vessels in the event of a nuclear emergency.

The power company also plans to build an earthquake-resistant office building in 2015, one year ahead of schedule. The utility says the office will serve as a response center for dealing with nuclear accidents.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda will convene his Cabinet on Monday to discuss whether the timeline can be used to help convince those living near the plant that it is safe to restart the reactors.