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NRA: Tsuruga nuclear power plant reactor ‘likely on active fault’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

A Nuclear Regulation Authority panel has concluded that a geological fault running directly under Japan Atomic Power Co.’s Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture is likely active, according to sources.

The NRA verification panel that examined the layer determined Friday that a crush zone running just beneath the No. 2 reactor at the Tsuruga plant was virtually an active fault. As the government’s seismic safety guidelines prohibit the construction of important facilities on active faults, the NRA will make an official decision in the near future not to allow the restart of the nuclear reactor, the sources said.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in his policy speech: “Under the Nuclear Regulation Authority, we will foster a new culture of safety that will uncompromisingly raise the level of safety. After doing so we will restart nuclear power plants whose safety has been confirmed.”

Substantive discussion over the assessment of the fault was largely concluded on the day. Unless new data overturning Friday’s conclusion is presented, the No. 2 reactor is highly likely to be decommissioned.

The panel studied the validity of an assessment report compiled in January by an NRA expert team that investigated the plant. The panel basically confirmed the report, which said, “The crush zone, which may have moved in the past 130,000 years, is highly likely an active fault.”

It was the first time for the NRA to confirm such a decision following a meeting of the verification panel.

The NRA has not made a decision on the plant’s No. 1 reactor, which will soon enter its 43rd year of operation.

According to NRA regulations, the decommissioning of reactors after 40 years of operation will become mandatory in July, which will make it difficult to restart the No. 1 reactor.

On Friday, Japan Atomic Power said it was deeply regrettable the NRA reached the conclusion unilaterally, based solely on the possibility that the fault may be active.

March 9, 2013 - Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized