Japan watchdog OKs new safety rules to extend reactor life

4 comments

1. Anti-nuclear sentiment and safety concerns rose sharply in Japan after the Fukushima disaster, in which a massive earthquake and tsunami damaged the plant’s cooling system, resulting in the meltdown of three reactors and the release of large amounts of radiation.

   The government has been pushing for a return to nuclear power amid worries of energy shortages following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a global push to reduce greenhouse gases.

   While maintaining a 20%-22% target for nuclear energy’s share of the energy mix for 2030, the government previously denied it was considering building new nuclear plants or replacing aged reactors in an apparent attempt to avoid triggering criticism from a wary public.

2. I was told by a relative of a Japanese politician that the govt had already decided to restart all the reactors back in 2016. All of the discussion and ruminating since them till now was just shifting the Overton Window to get to that result.

3. Good news. Hope they’ll build new ones!

4. I am not really anti-nuclear but:

   1) I wish the government and industry could be trusted to properly operate nuclear power plants. They have proven they clearly can only be trusted to cut corners.

   2) I wish they would build new and safer reactors instead of restart old ones that they cut corners to build and are cutting corners by ignoring previously agreed on termination dates.

   3) I wish they would invest in thorium reactors that, unlike their damn MOX crap will shut down automatically in a disaster. We are in the ring of fire and these idiots seem to think its Pennsylvania.