Fukui Gov. OKs Continued Operations of Aging Reactors

Fukui, March 24 (Jiji Press)--Fukui Governor Tatsuji Sugimoto on Monday effectively gave the green light for the continued operations of three aging nuclear reactors in the central Japan prefecture from next fiscal year.

Sugimoto approved Kansai Electric Power Co.'s revised roadmap for shipping spent nuclear fuel from the No. 3 reactor at the Mihama nuclear plant and No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at the Takahama plant.

The plant operator had said it would halt reactor operations if it failed to gain the prefecture's understanding for the roadmap by the end of the current fiscal year, which ends this month. All three reactors have been in operation for more than 40 years.

On Monday, the Fukui governor spoke with industry minister Yoji Muto online after meeting with Kansai Electric President Nozomu Mori at the prefectural office earlier in the day.

Sugimoto urged Mori and Muto to steadily implement the roadmap and promote regional development in the municipalities where the nuclear reactors are located.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]