The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said it will order reassessments of the seismic risk of geological fault lines that run near two nuclear facilities in Fukui Prefecture.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said it will order reassessments of the seismic risk of geological fault lines that run near two nuclear facilities in Fukui Prefecture.
During a hearing session with expert seismologists on July 3, NISA said the potential damage from the fault lines should be studied further at the Mihama nuclear power plant, operated by Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO), and the Monju prototype fast breeder reactor in Tsuruga, run by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA).
The Shiraki-Nyu fault, which is recognized as active, runs north-south about 1 kilometer east of the Mihama nuclear plant and 500 meters west of the Monju reactor. In addition, the premises of the Mihama nuclear plant contain nine fault lines, while nine others run under the Monju reactor.
KEPCO and the JAEA have maintained there are no traces of recent activity along those fault lines. They have also denied the possibility that the faults could move if sliding occurs along the Shiraki-Nyu fault.
Japan Atomic Power Co., operator of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, is conducting re-investigations after NISA pointed out that sliding along the Urazoko active fault, which cuts through the plant's premises, could lead to movements of a fault line directly beneath the No. 2 reactor.