Apr 14 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Kyodo News International, Tokyo
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshihiro Nikai expressed irritation
Tuesday over repeated fire incidents at Japan's biggest nuclear power plant
as it prepares to restart operations amid close attention from around the
world.
"I would like to urge all of those concerned to reflect seriously" on the
incident, Nikai told reporters after Tokyo Electric Power Co. reported a
minor fire Saturday at a warehouse on the premises of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa
nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture.
Also Tuesday, TEPCO Executive Vice President Ichiro Takekuro visited the
Niigata prefectural government office and apologized for causing trouble.
The regional government demanded the utility firm check every possible cause
of the fire.
TEPCO had just obtained approval to restart a reactor at the facility, which
suspended all operations following a major earthquake in July 2007. The
company may resume operations at the reactor within the month at the
earliest, despite strong safety concerns among local people and
municipalities.
The incident "occurred with such bad timing," said an Economy, Trade and
Industry Ministry official.
There have been nine fire incidents at the facility's premises since the
quake, Nikai said, calling it "really regrettable." "Other countries have
been paying attention to whether we will be able to restart our country's
biggest nuclear power plant," the minister said.
On Monday, the Kashiwazaki municipal government said it would not revoke the
approval it granted earlier for the plant to restart operations.
Experts say that whether Japan can restart the atomic power plant will
affect the country's environment policy, under which it is seeking a
"low-carbon society," as well as its attempt to curb industrial emissions of
greenhouse gases in the battle against global warming.
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