Reactor in central Japan fails to pass post-Fukushima safety review

This file photo taken on Oct. 20, 2020, shows Japan Atomic Power Co.’s Tsuruga nuclear power plant’s No. 1 reactor, left, and No. 2 reactor, right, in Fukui Prefecture. (Mainichi/Kenji Konoha)

TOKYO (Kyodo)—Japan’s nuclear watchdog on Wednesday decided that a reactor in Fukui Prefecture failed to pass its restart safety review, marking the first such case since the regulatory body’s founding after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis.

The No. 2 reactor at the Tsuruga plant in central Japan, operated by Japan Atomic Power Co., fell short of the safety requirements due to a possible active fault underneath the offline unit. The Nuclear Regulation Authority plans to seek public comments on its assessment report before making its decision official possibly in the fall.