Japan to conduct nationwide nuclear stress tests

Japan to conduct nationwide nuclear stress tests

2011-07-06 21:08:24 GMT+7 (ICT)

TOKYO (BNO NEWS) -- The government of Japan is planning to conduct stress tests on all of its nuclear reactors as safety concerns continue with the country's ongoing nuclear crisis, officials said Wednesday.

Japanese Minister of Trade, Economy, and Industry Banri Kaieda said the nationwide stress tests would assess the country's nuclear safety, as many of Japan's operation of reactors are currently suspended until regular checkups are completed, Kyodo news agency reported.

Despite two reactors at the Genkai plant, which is located in the country's Saga Prefecture, initially expected to reactivate its operations, Saga Governor Yasushi Furukawa underlined that it would be appropriate to wait for the test results before the government decides whether to restart the reactors.

With nuclear operations further being delayed until the tests are completed, Japan's ongoing power shortages would also be extended, as its nuclear crisis continues following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that crippled the Fukushimi Daiichi power plant.

In late June, a ministerial meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency on nuclear safety determined the need to conduct these nuclear stress tests to assure their safety. Last week, the German Parliament voted in favor of closing all of its nuclear power plants and to end its entire nuclear power industry by 2022.

In a separate incident, a fire broke out at around 10 a.m. local time in the waste disposal area of the Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant of the Japan Atomic Power Co. in Tokai, Ibaraki Prefecture. Personnel were able to extinguish the flames quickly, while government officials and the plant operator assured no radioactive materials had been released.

Japan has been facing an ongoing nuclear crisis since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was severely damaged on March 11 when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami devastated the country. The disaster disabled the cooling systems of the plant, and radioactive elements leaked into the sea and were later found in water, air and food products in some parts of Japan. Subsequent power shortages throughout the country have further complicated recovery efforts.

At least 23,482 people were killed, while 8,069 people remain missing. There are still more than 88,000 people who are staying in shelters in 21 prefectures around Japan.

According to the Japan Research Institute, the country's reconstruction efforts will cost between 14 trillion yen ($174.58 billion) and 18 trillion yen ($224.46 billion) in the upcoming 10 years, including 9.1 trillion yen ($113.47 billion) this year alone. Japan has already allocated a 4 trillion yen ($48.89 billion) emergency budget to finance the early phase of reconstruction efforts following the disaster.

On June 23, the government also announced a budget of 2 trillion yen ($24.8 billion) to be distributed to cover the massive compensation claims since the beginning of the disaster being faced by the Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

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