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Japan’s nuclear industry has poor safety culture

safety-symbol1Japan: Building Nuclear Safety Culture Will Take ‘Long Time’ VOA, Reuters July 04, 2013 TOKYO — Japan’s nuclear regulator said on Thursday that elevating safety culture to international standards will “take a long time.” That assessment came days before new rules take effect that aim to avoid a repeat of the Fukushima nuclear disaster that occurred in March 2011………..

flag-japan“The new regulations include extremely stringent requirements that the operators would not be able to endure if they don’t change their culture,” authority chairman Shunichi Tanaka told reporters. “We will need a long time to change this culture, but day-to-day efforts to meet those tough standards will in the end lead to the improvement in the safety culture.”
Trying to restart
Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the Fukushima plant that had three meltdowns, Kansai Electric Power Co., and three other listed nuclear operators have said they will apply for restarts after the rules go into effect.

Tanaka declined to comment on whether he considered Tokyo Electric – still struggling to contain leaks and power cuts at its ravaged plant – fit to operate nuclear facilities. He added that whether the company will be given a green light would depend on the contents of its application…….

Upgrades required by the Nuclear Regulation Authority in its quest to impose the world’s toughest earthquake and tsunami standards will cost the industry an estimated $12 billion, according to Tom O’Sullivan, an independent energy analyst based in Tokyo.

Tanaka stressed that the new regulator had what it took to impose the new regulations. “We have large authority and powers. If the operator does not comply with our regulations, they won’t be able to operate, let alone restart their reactors,” he said.http://www.voanews.com/content/japan-says-building-nuclear-safety-culture-will-take-long-time/1695038.html

July 5, 2013 - Posted by | Japan, safety

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