Fukui Gov. Issei Nishikawa is expected this week to endorse the restart of two reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi atomic plant, after a local nuclear safety commission officially informed him Monday that steps have been taken to ensure their safety, sources said.
Hideyuki Nakagawa, head of the commission set up by the prefectural government, presented Nishikawa with a report compiled by the panel after examining reactors 3 and 4 at Kepco's plant in the Fukui town of Oi.
The safety of the reactors has been "sufficiently secured," the commission said in its report.
The report is a necessary step before Nishikawa accepts Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's call to reactivate the reactors.
Oi Mayor Shinobu Tokioka is expected to endorse the restart of the reactors during the town assembly's regular session that starts Tuesday, while the prefectural assembly is also likely to tell Nishikawa it approves of the restart.
The commission has been examining the safety of the reactors since Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano asked Oi on April 14 to accept the reactors' restart.
On Sunday, the commission approved a report by prefectural officials stating in reference to the reactors that measures to ensure the safety of the plant have been put in place. Local citizens opposing the restarts, in light of the Fukushima triple-meltdown crisis, were barred from attending the event after clashing with prefectural officials.