nuclear-news

Japan’s new nuclear regulator to be back in bed with the nuclear industry?

the regulator could have a nuclear-industry friendly stance if the pro-business opposition party, the Liberal Democratic Party, comes into power in the next general elections, which could take place as early as autumn, or by September 2013 at the latest.

Fukushima Watch: Back-Pedaling on Reactor Age Limits? By Mitsuru Obe http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2012/06/20/fukushima-watch-back-pedaling-on-reactor-age-limits/ While Japan was transfixed by the drama of restarting nuclear
reactors, another potentially big shift on the atomic-energy front was taking place quietly in the wings.

Japan’s ruling Democratic Party of Japan last week acceded to opposition party requests to retract a plan that would set an age limit of 40 years on nuclear reactors. The DPJ now says that the age limit, which had previously been included in the new nuclear safety bill under deliberation in parliament, will be decided instead by the country’s new regulator, which is to be established as early as this autumn.

The rule, which would limit the length of time a reactor could stay in operation to 40 years, was proposed in December, following concern that aged equipment contributed to the March 2011 meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The three reactors that spun out of control
were all built during the 1970s. Nuclear crisis minister Goshi Hosono said at the time the rule was proposed that “reactors will basically have to be decommissioned after 40 years of operation.” Extending the life beyond 40 years would be allowed in exceptional circumstances
only, he said.

The bill, with the 40-year age limit excised, swiftly cleared Japan’s lower house last Friday, and is expected to pass the opposition-dominated upper house on Wednesday. Industry minister Yukio Edano Friday bemoaned the change, saying “We wanted to have the bill
passed as was originally proposed by the government.”

Of course, the new regulator may still choose to reinstate the 40-year
rule. But Shoichi Kondo, DPJ leader in the lower house committee on
nuclear regulations, says that the regulator could well be swayed by
political considerations, since it will be headed by five
commissioners appointed by parliament. “The political party in power
can ultimately choose the members of the commission, and thus its
policy direction,” Mr. Kondo told JRT.

Mr. Kondo and others warn that the regulator could have a nuclear-industry friendly stance if the pro-business opposition party, the Liberal Democratic Party, comes into power in the next general elections, which could take place as early as autumn, or by September 2013 at the latest.

Of Japan’s 50 reactors, 17 are over 30 years old, meaning that under
the 40-year rule they would have to be scrapped within 10 years, with
massive decommissioning costs for the utilities. Japanese nuclear
reactors are designed with a presumed life of 40 years.

June 21, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, politics