On August 6, 2013, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco) said that it has won backing from two municipal governments to apply for a safety assessment of its nuclear reactors which are currently idle in Niigata Prefecture. However, so far, the utility has not received an approval from Niigata Gov. Hirohiko Izumida.
It is still unsure when the utility will be able to apply for the assessment, which is an essential step in restarting the reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant. The facility is considered to be the world’s largest nuclear power station and is in the city of Kashiwazaki, as well as the village Kariwa.
On August 6, 2013, Mayor of Kashiwazaki, Hiroshi Aida indicated that he was in favor of the assessment and told a news conference that the filing of applications is up to the plant operator. Mayor of Kariwa, Hiroo Shinada already expressed his intention to allow Tepco to go ahead. However, the government of Izumida has been reluctant to allow the utility to apply for the safety checks.
The government said that no proper investigation was undertaken in the March 2011 nuclear crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 complex. Naomi Hirose, Tepco president told reporters that he wants to meet the governor for another round of talks, after the discussions in July 2013.
Photo Credits: Telegraph UK
