Nuclear regulators decided Wednesday to urge the science minister to pick a new entity to run a trouble-prone prototype fast-breeder reactor, as they see little progress in safety management operations under the current operator.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) concluded at a meeting open to the public that it is inappropriate to continue having the government-backed Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) manage the Monju reactor in Fukui Prefecture.
The regulatory body will recommend that Hiroshi Hase, the minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology, appoint a new operator to bolster the reactor's safety management. It is the first such action by the NRA since it was set up in September 2012 after the nation tightened its nuclear safety policy following the Fukushima disaster in 2011.