Screenings at Tomari

Regulator to resume Tomari reactor screening

 http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140307_33.html 

Japan's nuclear regulator will resume safety screenings at the Tomari nuclear power plant in Hokkaido. The announcement comes after the operator submitted a revised application to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

The NRA suspended screenings on the plant's number 1 and number 2 reactors last July. It had found the Hokkaido Electric Power Company used computer data from another reactor...number 3...in its initial application. The data concerns safety measures designed to prevent fuel meltdowns.

With the resumption of the screening, the regulator has processed all pending applications for checks of 17 reactors at 10 plants nationwide.

The utility is complying with the regulator's instructions regarding the number 3 reactor. It is improving a sprinkler system at the containment vessel, saying it has postponed its restart as it is unclear how long the work will take.

The company hopes to restart the other 2 reactors soon, saying it is paying higher fuel costs for thermal power generation while the nuclear reactors are offline.

Mar. 7, 2014 - Updated 09:18 UTC