The government is making final arrangements to scrap the trouble-prone Monju fast-breeder reactor after determining it will never obtain public support for a restart, government sources said Tuesday.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority urged the education and science ministry, which oversees the reactor, in November to replace the government-backed Japan Atomic Energy Agency with a new entity to improve safety and management of the project.

In response, the ministry informed the Cabinet Secretariat earlier this month of a plan to keep operating the reactor in Fukui Prefecture by spinning off part of the project from the current operator.