Kagoshima (Japan) reactor restarted, first to go online under post-Fukushima regime
Source: Japan Times
Japan fired nuclear reactor back up Tuesday in the first restart in nearly two years despite strong public safety concerns in light of the continuing nuclear catastrophe at the Fukushima No. 1 complex triggered by a powerful earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
Reactor 1 at Kyushu Electric Power Co.s Sendai complex, located in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, became the first unit to be reactivated under a set of new, stricter regulations imposed after the triple-reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima plant.
At 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, workers at the two-reactor Sendai plant in Kagoshima Prefecture pulled out the control rods that have been suppressing nuclear fission, and reactivated reactor 1 for the first time since May 2011, when it was taken offline for mandatory regular checks.
The reactor is expected to reach criticality in half a day. The utility plans to start generating and delivering electricity in three days. The resumption of the Sendai plants reactor 2 will likely come in October.
Read more: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/08/11/national/kagoshima-reactor-restarted-first-go-online-post-fukushima-regime/#.Vclf5ygUONE
Uncle Joe
(58,444 posts)Thanks for the thread, Art_from_Ark.
Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)The restart is being criticized by citizens' groups and members of opposition parties.
RobertEarl
(13,685 posts)How close to a fault is it?
Did they make a new evacuation plan since Fukushima?
Why was it shut down?
Thanks, Art, if you can answer these questions. Hope all is well with the Japanese people.
Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)Note-- Satsumasendai, where these reactors are located, is near the top of this map.
What was particularly interesting was that when I googled the Japanese terms for "Satsuma" and "geological fault", at the very top of the page were pictures of the reactors
http://www.google.co.jp/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=薩摩断層&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gfe_rd=cr&ei=wmfJVcaWPKf98wfYh59I
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)Ah...bad pun
Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)The national government has supposedly come up with highly improved evacuation plans, but they have been criticized as putting too much responsibility on local governments.
RobertEarl
(13,685 posts)That's getting up there.
The earthquake then Tsunami which hit Japan made it so locals were literally swamped with the dual problem. I would hope the national government is prepared to get help together, fast.
Keep us posted on this fire-up, Art.
yuiyoshida
(41,867 posts)bananas
(27,509 posts)Japan PM Abe's support slips, majority oppose nuclear restart
Source: Reuters
Support for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has slipped to just over 30 percent and a majority oppose the planned restart of a nuclear reactor that went offline after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, a poll by the Mainichi newspaper showed on Monday.
<snip>
Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)In all 3 polls, opposition to restarting nuclear reactors was at least 54%, while support of restarting ranged from 33% to 37%.