Happy about the restart (some are)

July 16, 2014

Abe, residents near Sendai Plant comment

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140716_23.html

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says regulatory approval of a draft safety plan to restart nuclear reactors at the Sendai power plant is one step forward.

Abe said regulators have more work to do to finalize their assessment that the plant is safe. He said if the plant clears what are now the world's toughest safety standards, the government will work to restart it with the consent of local residents.

Opinions are varied among people living near the country's nuclear plants about restarting reactors.

A 70-year-old woman in the city hosting the Sendai plant said she hopes the reactors are never restarted.

She said she sees no benefit to restarting the plant in her city when the population is shrinking.

But a 52-year-old resident welcomed the possibility of the plant restarting. She said it benefits some people and is indispensable to the community.

Another woman of the same age complained that residents had not been adequately briefed on the issue.

A 37-year-old man said if the government wants to restart the plant, it should show it has a clear vision about energy resources and how to decommission nuclear plants.

Jul. 16, 2014 - Updated 07:15 UTC

Operator, Suga comment on approval

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140716_22.html

Kyushu Electric Power Company says it will respond carefully and sincerely to regulators' assessments of its nuclear facilities.

The company said in a statement it will also work continuously to boost the safety and credibility of the Sendai plant.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga says the Nuclear Regulation Authority is working hard to assess the safety of the plant. He said their analysis is based on safety guidelines considered among the toughest in the world.

Asked whether the government takes final responsibility for the safety of the plant, Suga said judgments about safety must be objective and exclude political concerns.

He said the government will rely on the judgment of the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

Jul. 16, 2014 - Updated 05:35 UTC