Japan overhauls nuclear safety guidelines

It’s the first overhaul since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority, Japan’s nuclear regulator, has announced an overhaul of the country’s nuclear safety guidelines. The announcement of the new guidelines also starts a process that could allow some of the country’s idled reactors to begin operating by early 2014.

The new guidelines provide that nuclear plant operators must bolster their tsunami defenses and check for active earthquake faults under their plants. They must also set up emergency command centers and install filtered vents to help reduce the discharge of harmful radioactive substances from the reactors.

Unlike previous guidelines, the new safety standards are legally binding. They also address, for the first time, the possibility of severe accidents that could set-off multiple fuel meltdowns and force mass evacuations.

“We have reached a milestone” in nuclear safety, said NRA chairman Shinichi Tanaka. He said the new guidelines brought Japan in line with the highest global safety standards for nuclear energy.

NRA faces considerable pressure to reopen idled plants. It said it would start accepting applications on July 8 from power companies seeking to restart their reactors. Seven companies have said they will apply to restart a total of 13 reactors across Japan.

It will take at least six months for the NRA to conduct the necessary checks and approve bringing the reactors back online.