The Nuclear Regulation Authority on June 19 approved new safety standards for reactors. It will put them into force beginning July 8. Four power companies are expected to apply for safety screening by the NRA in July to restart up to 12 reactors at six nuclear power plants.
NRA Chairman Shunichi Tanaka said that his organization will not take power companies' business conditions into consideration. The NRA should stick to this principle and carry out the screening in a transparent manner and reject any political pressure.
Although the Abe administration and the power industry are eager to restart nuclear power plants, they should not view the new safety standards as a procedural tool for the restart. Power companies must understand that if reactors fail to meet the requirements under the new standards, the companies must start a concrete process of decommissioning them.