Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.
Profile image
By MILLENNIUM Reporter
Contributor profile | More stories
Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

Japan restarts first nuclear power plant since Fukushima

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.


The Millennium Report: Reporting the Most Important News in the World Today.

Japan restarts first nuclear power plant since Fukushima

BBC

Japan has restarted its first nuclear reactor under new safety rules following the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

All Japan’s nuclear plants were gradually shut down after a series of meltdowns at the Fukushima plant sparked by the tsunami and earthquake.

But after passing stringent new safety tests, Kyushu Electric Power restarted the number one reactor at its Sendai plant on Tuesday morning.

There is still strong public unease about a return to nuclear power.

Protests have been taking place outside the Sendai plant and at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s residence in Tokyo, about 1,000 km (600 miles) away.

The BBC’s Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo says that after being told a disaster like Fukushima could never happen, public confidence has been shaken.

A total of 25 plants have applied to be restarted, he says, but all are facing legal challenges from concerned locals.

What is happening inside the Sendai reactor?

‘Safety first’

Kyushu said reactor No.1 at Sendai began operating again at 10:30 local time (01:30 GMT).

TV images showed the plant’s control room as workers turned the reactor back on.

Kyushu Electric spokesman Tomomitsu Sakata said the reactor had gone back online without any problems.

The plant is expected to be producing energy by the end of the week

Media captionThe BBC’s Tokyo correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes was the first foreign journalist to be allowed inside the plant since its shutdown.

It will be about 24 hours before a full reaction takes place, and the plant is expected to start generating power by Friday. It will reach full capacity some time next month.

Prime Minister Abe said on Monday that the reactors had passed “the world’s toughest safety screening”.

“I would like Kyushu Electric to put safety first and take utmost precautions for the restart,” he said.

Many local residents are unhappy about the Sendai plant restarting

Since shutting down all nuclear plants, Japan has been relying on imported fossil fuels for its energy, at huge expense. The government has said nuclear power must resume to cut both import bills and growing CO2 emissions.

Experts have also warned that reactors left idle for years tend to experience teething problems and that such a mass restart of dormant reactors has never been attempted before, says our correspondent.

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority approved two reactors at the Sendai plant last September under stricter safety rules. The second reactor is due to be restarted in October.

More than $100m (£64m) has been spent on fitting new safety systems at the Sendai plant.

The Fukushima Daiichi plant was badly damaged by the earthquake and tsunami

But local residents say the new safety regulations are not stringent enough – they are worried about potential dangers from active volcanoes in the region.

Protesters were rallied by Naoto Kan, prime minister at the time of the Fukushima crisis, who told the crowd: “We don’t need nuclear plants.”

He said the Fukushima disaster had “exposed the myth of safe and cheap nuclear power, which turned out to be dangerous and expensive”.

One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded struck off the coast of Japan in March 2011, triggering a huge tsunami which damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant, leading to meltdown.

Almost 16,000 people died and more than 2,500 are still listed as missing, though none of the deaths has been linked to the nuclear disaster.

Some 160,000 people were evacuated from the surrounding areas in the following weeks – continuing high radiation levels mean most have never been able to return home.

The Millennium Report: Reporting the Most Important News of the Week


Source: http://themillenniumreport.com/2015/08/japan-restarts-first-nuclear-power-plant-since-fukushima/


Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!


Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST


Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!

HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.

Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.

MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)

Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser!  Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!

Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.

Smart Meter Cover -  Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).

Report abuse

    Comments

    Your Comments
    Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

    MOST RECENT
    Load more ...

    SignUp

    Login

    Newsletter

    Email this story
    Email this story

    If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

    If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.