Doubts emerge over gov't plan to assess safety of nuclear power plants in two stages (JAPAN)

[AsahinaKimi]

In this March 11, 2011 photo released Monday, April 11, 2011 by Tokyo Electric Power Co.,(TEPCO), the access road at the compound of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant is flooded as tsunami hit the facility following a massive earthquake in Okuma town, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan. (AP Photo/Tokyo Electric Power Co.,)

The government's plan to assess the safety of nuclear power plants in two stages based on the results of its so-called stress tests on them is difficult to understand in the eyes of members of the general public.

Under the plan, the government will conduct the first-stage assessment of nuclear reactors that are undergoing regular inspections and the second-stage assessment of reactors in operation.

Stress tests are conducted on nuclear reactors to see how far they can withstand disasters and accidents beyond the scope of assumption made when they were designed -- like the massive tsunami triggered by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake. Therefore, the same safety standards should basically apply to both reactors undergoing regular inspections and those in operation.

There had been differences within the government over whether the safety assessment should be made a precondition for restarting nuclear reactors. The government's coordinated view on the issue it has just announced appears to be just a compromise plan that takes into consideration conflicting opinions. Therefore, it could give the public the impression that the government will conduct the first-stage assessment in order to ensure operations at nuclear reactors suspended for regular inspections will be resumed.

MORE....
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20110712p2a00m0na006000c.html

[PoliticAverse]

1. Most of the plants simply haven't been designed to handle the earthquakes....

(plus any resulting Tsunami) that are now known to be likely to occur in
that region.

There really isn't a good test for Murphy's Law...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy%27s_law

[damntexdem]

2. Will that involve assessments both before and after meltdowns?

;-)