TOKYO — Japan will conduct new safety assessments of its nuclear plants, the nation’s top energy official said Wednesday, in a move aimed at persuading local communities to allow the restarting of idled nuclear reactors.
The official, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda, said the so-called stress tests would measure the plants’ ability to withstand larger- than-expected earthquakes and tsunamis like those that disabled the Fukushima Daiichi plant in March.
He said the analyses, which are modeled on those conducted by the European Union on its plants, were intended to give “a sense of assurance” to local residents.
The issue of local acceptance has come to the forefront as Tokyo tries to persuade regional leaders to allow the restart of dozens of reactors that were originally idled for regular maintenance but have not been turned on since the March disaster.
The New York Times
