Reports may delay reopening of Japan’s nuclear reactors

Nature : Japan closed all of its nuclear reactors following the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster. Reopening them depends on reports from 17 geophysicists working for the nation’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA). Led by Kunihiko Shimazaki, the group has been evaluating fault lines that run near five reactor sites. The country’s nuclear industry claims that all of the plant locations are now adequately prepared for any potential earthquakes and that the faults near them are inactive. However, Shimazaki’s initial reports claim otherwise. Regarding two of the plantsâmdash;Tsuruga and Oiâmdash;the reports claim that the nearby faults show signs of recent activity, a claim that has been questioned not just by the nuclear industry but by seismologists as well. The reports have also been criticized for misidentifying landslides and for lacking the direct input of specialists on rocks and sediments. Whether the reactors can begin operation again will be determined by the NRA after taking into account the reports both from Shimazaki’s group and from the companies running the reactors.