Japan NRA Gives Tomari N-Reactor De Facto Pass in Safety Screening

   Tokyo, April 30 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday approved a draft screening report that found the No. 3 reactor at Hokkaido Electric Power Co.'s Tomari nuclear power plant to be in compliance with new safety standards.
   With the move, the NRA effectively confirmed that the reactor in the village of Tomari in the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido meets safety standards, which is a prerequisite for its restart. The report is expected to be formally adopted this summer following a period for public comments.
   In 2022, Sapporo District Court ordered an injunction against the operations of the reactor after a lawsuit filed by local residents, ruling that the reactor failed to meet safety standards for tsunami. Hearings on the appeal are ongoing.
   Hokkaido Electric aims to restart the reactor in 2027, after the completion of a seawall being built on the plant's premises. It remains to be seen, however, whether the reactor's operations will be resumed as envisaged because the company needs to obtain the consent of local governments in addition to dealing with the lawsuit.
   Hokkaido Electric applied for a screening on the first day that Japan's new safety standards took effect in July 2013. The review by the NRA took close to 12 years, due to the time needed for explanations by the company regarding measures against earthquakes and tsunamis.

(2025/04/30-16:27)