July 1, 2012 1:15 AM PrintText
1st Japan reactor goes online since nuclear crisis
comments
0inShare.0More+
EmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInDigg.PrintDeliciousRedditStumbleuponGoogle Bookmarks....
TOKYO — Dozens of protesters shouted and danced at the gate of a nuclear power plant set to restart Sunday, the first to go back online since all reactors were shut down for safety checks following the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Ohi nuclear plant's reactor No. 3 is returning to operation despite a deep divide in public opinion. Last month, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda ordered the restarts of reactors No. 3 and nearby No. 4, saying people's living standards can't be maintained without nuclear energy. Many citizens are against a return to nuclear power because of safety fears after Fukushima.
Crowds of tens of thousands of people have gathered on Friday evenings around Noda's official residence, chanting, "Saikado hantai," or "No to nuclear restarts." Protests drawing such numbers are extremely rare in this nation, reputed for orderly docility and conformity. A demonstration in Tokyo protesting the restart and demanding Noda resign was being organized in a major park Sunday.
Although initially ignored by mainstream local media, demonstrations across the country have grown, as word gets out through social media such as Twitter, sometimes drawing Japanese celebrities, including Nobel Prize-winning writer Kenzaburo Oe and Ryuichi Sakamoto, who composed the score for "Last Emperor."
All 50 of Japan's working reactors were gradually turned off in the wake of last year's earthquake and tsunami, which sent Fukushima Dai-ichi plant into multiple meltdowns, setting off the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
But worries about a power crunch over the hot summer months have been growing. Oil imports are soaring. Officials have warned about blackouts in some regions.
The government has been carrying out new safety tests on nuclear plants, and says No. 3 and No. 4 are safe for restart.
Protesters like Taisuke Kohno, a 41-year-old musician among the 200 protesters trying to blockade the Ohi plant, aren't so sure. He said protesters were facing off against riot police and planned to stay there day and night.
"It's a lie that nuclear energy is clean," he said. "After experiencing the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, how can Japan possibly want nuclear power?"
Kansai Electric Power Co., the utility that operates Ohi, in central Japan, was not immediately available for comment Sunday. It said on its website that a nuclear reaction was starting at No. 3 Sunday, a key step for a reactor to start producing electricity.
Fukushima Dai-ichi, in northeastern Japan, went into meltdowns and exploded after the March 11 tsunami destroyed backup generators to keep reactor cores cool.
In the latest problem at the crippled plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co., its operator, said it was still working to restore the cooling system for the pool for spent nuclear fuel at reactor No. 4, which broke down Saturday.
The cooling system must be restored within 70 hours, or temperatures will start to rise, spewing radiation. TEPCO spokesman Naohiro Omura said a temporary system was being set up Sunday.
The pool contains 1,535 fuel rods, 204 of them unused ones. Even spent fuel remains highly radioactive. The government has acknowledged that the spent fuel pool, if it cannot be kept cool, will cause a massive radiation leak that may require the evacuation of the Tokyo area.
Adding to the jitters are cracks and warping of the building that houses the pool, likely because of the damage from last year's explosions, according to TEPCO. The utility, which is undergoing a massive government bailout, denies there is any danger and says radiation is being closely monitored.
___
Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at http://twitter.com/yurikageyama
MLから転載 サイエンス・デーリー(ScienceDaily)の首記の記事 Natural Exposure to Gamma Rays in Background Radiation Linked to Childhood Leukemia http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/...
Protesters stage demonstrations across Japan as technicians at the Ohi nuclear facility on the country's west coast prepare to restart a reactor, the first to come back online since the Fukushima nuclear disaster that followed the earthquake and tsunami that hit the country last year. Restarting Japan's nuclear power stations will avert dire power shortages and sustain the economy, the prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda, has said. But the issue has divided the country, resulting in an increasingly hostile showdown between the government and those doubtful about its atomic safety claims.
Japan's nuclear reactors have all been shut down since the Fukushima disaster [Reuters]
Dozens of protesters in Japan have shouted and danced at the gate of a nuclear power plant after it restarted, the first to go back online since the country shut down all of its reactors for safety checks following the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Ohi nuclear plant's reactor No 3, in the western Fukui Prefecture, returned to operation on Sunday evening despite a deep division in public opinion.
Last month, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda ordered the restarts of reactors No 3 and nearby No 4, saying people's living standards cannot be maintained without nuclear energy.
Many citizens are against a return to nuclear power because of safety fears after the Fukushima accident in March last year.
Crowds of tens of thousands of people had gathered on Friday evening around Noda's official residence, chanting, "Saikado hantai," or "No to nuclear restarts."
Protests drawing such numbers are extremely rare in Japan, often known for orderly conformity.
A demonstration in Tokyo protesting against the restart and demanding Noda resign was planned in a major park on Sunday.
Celebrity support
Although initially ignored by mainstream local media, demonstrations across the country have grown as word spread through social media.
Protests have included Japanese celebrities, such as Nobel Prize-winning writer Kenzaburo Oe and Ryuichi Sakamoto, who composed the score for the movie The Last Emperor .
All 50 of Japan's working reactors were gradually turned off in the wake of last year's massive earthquake and tsunami, which sent the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant into multiple meltdowns, setting off the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
But worries about a power crunch over the hot summer months have been growing.
Oil imports are soaring and officials have warned about blackouts in some regions.
The government has been carrying out new safety tests on nuclear plants, and says Ohi No 3 and No 4 are safe to restart.
Nuclear reaction
Protesters like Taisuke Kohno, a 41-year-old musician among the 200 people trying to blockade the Ohi plant, are not so sure. Kohno said protesters were facing off against riot police and planned to stay there day and night.
"It's a lie that nuclear energy is clean," he said. "After experiencing the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, how can Japan possibly want nuclear power?"
Kansai Electric Power Co, the utility that operates Ohi in central Japan, was not immediately available for comment Sunday.
It said on its website that a nuclear reaction restarted Sunday afternoon at the No 3 reactor, a key step for it to begin producing electricity.
Fukushima Dai-ichi, in northeastern Japan, went into meltdowns and exploded after the March 11 tsunami destroyed backup generators to keep the reactor cores cool.
In the latest problem at the crippled plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co, its operator, said the cooling system for the spent nuclear fuel pool at reactor No 4 broke down on Saturday, and a temporary system was set up Sunday.
The cooling system had to be restored within 70 hours, or temperatures would have started to rise, spewing radiation.