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© 2016 AFPNuclear regulator says aging reactors can stay on line for 20 more years
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© 2016 AFP
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Zaphod
sf2k:
Instead of typing a kneejerk reaction, you might want to read up on thorium technology. The reactors are fundamentally different, inherently safe, and produce very little nuclear waste (most notably no plutonium).
sf2k
@Zaphod
Thorium is a red herring. You need Uranium to charge it. It's less of a problem sure but you have to look at the entire process like nuclear itself to see where the waste exists. Zero nuclear nada zip zilch is needed for energy. It's simply a design paradigm that needs to come to an end. Simply moving from one radioactive source to another is not a solution to the real problem of integration of renewables and changing the mindset along with it
RangerMIFFED
Meiyou* not too many earthquake faults in France, are there?
Zaphod
What they should do is invest in research in safe nuclear technologies such as Thorium reactors (which actually been in trial operation for many years on some cases, so it is not a pipe dream). Why do we not hear about that?
Meiyouwenti
The inconvenient truth is that nuclear power generation is indispensable for resource poor countries like Japan. Reduced oil imports would mean less dependence on foreign oil producers and increase the country's energy security. Look at France, a proud independent nation. More than 90 percent of power in France is generated by nuclear power plants.
nandakandamanda
This is strange: "The move comes after a district court in March issued an injunction ordering a temporary shutdown of the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at the same plant. "
3 & 4 are newer, younger reactors. At the time it was not advertised as 'temporary'; the plant has even begun removing fuel rods from 3 & 4 as they realize this shutdown will drag on for the long term.
So the courts have stopped the newer reactors at Takahama, but the regulatory authority has given life extensions to the obsolescent reactors 1 & 2.
SenseNotSoCommon
What could possibly go wrong?
Nessie
2036 headline: "Nuclear regulator says aging reactors can stay on line for 20 more years"
sakanafish
Isn't that what they said about Fukushima.....as long as there was no natural disaster?
nath
It's time to bring in experts from abroad to inspect Japan's aging nuclear facilities. Local assessments are tainted by association with the industry and politicians.
MsDelicious
Sounds ok to me. We need the power to keep air pollution at bay.
Mike O'Brien
They aren't breaking their own rules. Their rules clearly allow a 20 year extension.
No. Their design limit is not 40 years.
Aly Rustom
Exactly! How many of those punks would send THEIR kids to school, or buy a house near one of those aged power plants. Nuclear energy in Japan is a Racket. Look, California announced a month or 2 ago that by 2030, HALF of its power will come from solar energy. HALF. Not renewables mind you, JUST SOLAR.
Why do we need to continue to use outdated and nuclear reactors when the gov can easily subsidize solar panels on every single building, house, and factory in the nation? That would take care of AT LEAST half of japan's energy needs. When you add wind energy through turbines you'll get even more. There really is no need for us to keep using reactors that are old and volatile.
gkamburoff
They have already admitted Fukushima will "last" another 40 or more years, . .
sf2k
NRA would approve a reactor on a seismic fault line in a typhoon zone downwind from an active volcano.
Magnet
Surprise surprise. They'd all be out of a job otherwise.
bogva
Apart of the news for the extension decision there is big misconception in all related information about the reactors in Japan.
There is NO stopped reactor (except the Fukushima daichi, daini reactors). All are idling with fuel so the danger remains constant on or off the power grid!
The ones that sit on an active faults should start decommissioning as soon as possible - only then they can think how to deal with the rest.
CH3CHO
There are many famous Japanese who raised their voice against the 20 year extension, such as former Prime Minister Koizumi, and a lot of professors of seismology at famous universities. Actually, Japanese papers are citing true experts. Why couldn't AFP cite them, rather than this "senior campaigner"? The only probable reason I can think of is ....
Stewie
Seems like a big gamble to take. The Gov't does not appear to put much value on the health and safety of the people of Japan.
John S. Whitford
Regulators should be forced to live within 5 miles of a nuclear reactor they approved.
sf2k
That's rich, considering they were supposed to be shut down before 3/11 having reached their design limit. You can't just ask radioactivity to stop and accept oyaji corruption.
Ahmed_Shaker
Build more, restart the old, and maybe get the Koreans to build them this time, they do it well.
Disillusioned
Would you expect the pro-nuclear lobby to state anything else? Of course they want to keep them online for another twenty years. That's their job! However, other parties not associated with the Japanese government of power industry have s very different opinion.
Roger Jolly
Radioactivity lasts and counts longer than human life... at the end there will be only one. The atom.
nedinjapan
Somehow,Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) in Japan and National Rifle Association (NRA) in the US deny the risks of using dangerous material! What does NRA really stand for? Narcissist Reckless Abnormal?
kwatt
Safety rules seem to be nothing and very ridiculous about extension of 20 more years. These reactors are very old enough. Some kinda disastrous accident would happen during time of 20 years. How stupid they are!
gogogo
Slowly the NRA is getting corrupt, why are you breaking your own rules?
kurisupisu
I want to keep my car for the next 20 years too but I won't due to the high maintenance costs and increasing inefficiency. Obviously, the same criteria don't apply to nuclear power plants for some reason......
eye
The government doesn't want to spend money on necessary things and taking advantage of the public' apathy.
Whether it's another facet of the 'Shoganai' attitude, penny pinching, the preference of new over old or combination thereof I don't know for sure, but from observation of daily life, there seems to be a lack of a maintenance mindset where buildings or facilities are left without any meaningful maintenance until they break.