Safety screenings need time

 February 13, 2014

Top nuclear regulator: Safety screenings unlikely to finish before April

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201402130054 

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

The head of the Nuclear Regulation Authority said it is unlikely any of Japan’s idled reactors will be reactivated this fiscal year as operators try to comply with tightened safety standards.

NRA Chairman Shunichi Tanaka said Feb. 12 that none of the safety screenings requested by operators seeking to bring their reactors back online are expected to be complete before April when the new fiscal year starts.

Japan had 54 nuclear reactors before the March 2011 triple meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The nation’s remaining 48 nuclear reactors were soon taken offline for safety checks following the disaster.

Under the NRA's new safety screening regime, plant operators must satisfy three concurrent procedures before being granted permission to reactivate facilities. First, they must gain permission to upgrade a reactor. Next, they must obtain approval for their construction proposals, which should contain descriptions of the design plan. And finally, they need to seek approval to implement their new safety measures. Under this latter condition, operators are also required to show in detail how the facility will be operated.

Tanaka told a news conference on Feb. 12 that, in light of current progress, it appears unlikely that all three screening procedures will be concluded before the end of the business year.

Japanese utility companies have applied for safety screenings for 16 nuclear reactors at nine power plants. Screenings are currently under way for 10 reactors at six plants whose operators submitted applications last July when the new regulation standards went into effect.

Tanaka also said Feb. 12 that the NRA will hold public hearings and garner a broader range of opinions by other means on scientific and technical issues that may be incorporated into the screening process, although specifics on those hearings have yet to be decided.

NRA: Nuclear safety screening to take longer

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140213_04.html 

The head of Japan's nuclear regulator says more time will be needed to complete safety screening to restart some of the country's reactors.

All commercial reactors in Japan are off-line. Nine nuclear power stations have applied for safety checks by the Nuclear Regulation Authority. The checks are prerequisites for restarts.

At an NRA meeting on Wednesday, officials reported on the screenings of the first 6 power plants, applied in July last year.

One official said the authority is nearing the end of screenings for basic designs of new safety devices. Another suggested the checks are at the final stage.

But after the meeting, NRA Chairman Shunichi Tanaka said the authority needs to see not only basic designs but also detailed designs of safety devices. He said the screening will not conclude by this fiscal year's end, March 31st.

Tanaka suggested that public hearings be held, and the opinions of the general public be sought as NRA experts near the end of their screening.

He said the authority is willing to hear a variety of opinions from the standpoint of science and technology before reaching a final conclusion.

Feb. 12, 2014 - Updated 20:33 UTC