Japan Cabinet OKs bill to cap nuke reactor life

This photo taken by a remote-controlled endoscope and released by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) shows a scaffolding, bottom, and the wall inside the beaker-shaped containment vessel of No. 2 reactor at the damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, north of Tokyo, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. The radiation-blurred photos taken Thursday, that were the first inside look since the disaster, found none of the reactor's melted fuel but confirmed stable temperatures and showed no major damage or ruptures caused by the earthquake last March, said Junichi Matsumoto, spokesman for the plant operator, TEPCO. (AP Photo/Tokyo Electric Power Co.)

TOKYO — Japan’s Cabinet approved bills Tuesday aimed at bolstering nuclear safety regulations following last year’s Fukushima disaster, including one that would put a 40-year cap on the operational life of nuclear reactors.

Japan currently has no legal limit on the operational lifespan of its 54 reactors, many of which will reach the 40-year mark in coming years. One of three reactors at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Dai-ichi plant has been operating for 41 years.

The legislation, which still needs parliamentary approval to take effect, does allow for an extension of up to 20 years in some cases — an exception that critics have blasted as a loophole. Officials have said extensions will be rare and require strict safety standards.

The Cabinet also submitted a bill to create a new nuclear regulatory agency under the Environment Ministry that would unify the various nuclear safety and regulatory bodies.

Critics say the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency’s current placement under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry — which also promotes nuclear energy — has contributed to lax supervision of the industry.

After the March 11 earthquake and tsunami triggered the Fukushima accident, Japan reversed its nuclear energy policy and now aims to reduce its dependency on atomic power. Officials say capping the lives of reactors at 40 years is consistent with that policy.

Still, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has said Japan must rely on nuclear energy during a transitional phase, and idled reactors deemed safe after inspections need to be restarted.

Since the meltdowns at Fukushima, Japan has ordered reactors across the country to undergo “stress tests” before they can be restarted. But passing the new tests may not lead to a quick startup because of deep safety concerns in local communities hosting the reactors.

With only three of the country’s 54 reactors now online, officials are desperately trying to avoid a power crunch. One of the three operating reactors will go offline for regular checks next month, and Japan will have no operating reactors by the end of April.

Last week, a team of International Atomic Energy Agency experts inspected two reactors in Fukui, in western Japan, that have undergone stress tests at the invitation of Japan’s government. The IAEA team was to submit their assessment later Tuesday. The visit is largely seen as a step to drum up support for the government’s safety campaign.