Ohi fault officially declared inactive

February 12, 2014

NRA declares Ohi nuclear plant fault inactive

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140212_20.html

Japanese nuclear regulators have concluded that a geologic fault beneath the Ohi nuclear plant in central Japan is unlikely to move.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday approved a final report on the F-6 fault under the plant in Fukui Prefecture.

The report is based on inspections that began in November 2012. It says the F-6 is not an active fault and is not likely to move along with the active fault that is next to it.

NRA Chairman Shunichi Tanaka says regulators made the difficult judgment after careful examination.

The operator, Kansai Electric Power Company, had argued that the fault was not active. Utilities are forbidden to build reactors and other key facilities above active faults.

The Ohi plant is the first of 7 nuclear plants under NRA scrutiny to get the green-light to resume operating.

The NRA concluded last May that the fault under the No.2 reactor at the Tsuruga nuclear plant in Fukui does have the potential to move.

Feb. 12, 2014 - Updated 05:21 UTC