Mayor OKs Restart of 40-Plus-Years-Old Mihama N-Reactor

Mihama, Fukui Pref., Feb. 15 (Jiji Press)--The mayor of the central Japanese town hosting the Mihama nuclear power plant on Monday announced his intention to approve the restart of the Mihama No. 3 reactor, already operated for over 40 years.

Mihama Mayor Hideki Toshima said he had decided to accept a request to support the restart of the reactor at the Kansai Electric Power Co. <9503> plant in Fukui Prefecture after considering various requirements.

He unveiled the step in a meeting with the town assembly chairman held at the town office.

This is the second case in which a nuclear reactor operating for over 40 years in Japan wins restart approval from a local municipal leader, after the case of the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at Kansai Electric’s Takahama plant, also in Fukui.

The focus will be decisions by the Fukui prefectural assembly and Fukui Governor Tatsuji Sugimoto, sources familiar with the situation said.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]