TOMARI, HOKKAIDO ¨C Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki on Thursday inspected Hokkaido Electric Power¡¯s Tomari nuclear plant, ahead of his final decision on whether to approve the planned restart of the No. 3 reactor at the plant.
During the inspection, Suzuki checked safety measures at the plant, including the maintenance status of a tsunami protection wall and drills simulating an accident occurring inside the containment vessel of a reactor.
¡°It was very meaningful to see the situation (of safety measures at the plant) with my own eyes,¡± Suzuki told reporters.
Suzuki also said he asked Hokkaido Electric President Susumu Saito, who accompanied the governor on the inspection, to implement measures to achieve ¡°safety levels above regulatory standards.¡±
On the same day, Suzuki met with the mayors of the four municipalities surrounding the nuclear plant. The mayors have already expressed their support for the reactor¡¯s restart.
¡°The mayors¡¯ decisions are significant,¡± the governor said after the meeting. ¡°I will take their views seriously into account when making my final decision.¡±
In July this year, the Nuclear Regulation Authority determined that the No. 3 reactor at the Tomari plant meets the new regulatory standards. In August, the central government sought the support of the prefecture and municipalities for reactivating the reactor.
At a meeting of the Hokkaido assembly on Friday, Suzuki expressed his willingness to accept the reactor¡¯s restart, saying that it is an ¡°realistic option.¡± He is expected to make his final decision as early as this month.
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