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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 3 sepTember 2019

Japan urges nuke plants to prepare for decommissioning era

By MARI YAMAGUCHI about half of its 79 research
Associated Press facilities, the report raised
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s nu- concerns about the weak-
clear policy-setting body ening of basic research on
adopted a report Monday nuclear energy. Before the
saying the country is en- Fukushima disaster, Japan
tering an era of massive had 60 commercial reac-
nuclear plant decommis- tors that provided about
sioning, urging plant op- 25 percent of the country’s
erators to plan ahead to energy needs. Despite the
lower safety risks and costs government’s renewed
requiring decades and bil- ambitions for nuclear pow-
lions of dollars. Twenty-four er, reactor restarts are pro-
commercial reactors — or ceeding slowly as nuclear
40% of Japan’s total — are regulators spend more time
designated for or are being on inspections. Meanwhile,
decommissioned. Among anti-nuclear sentiment per-
them are four reactors sists among the public and
at the Fukushima Dai-ichi makes it more difficult for
plant that were severely plant operators to obtain
damaged by the massive local consent in making
2011 earthquake and tsu- In this Aug. 10, 2006, file photo, the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant in Tomiokamachi, revisions to their facilities.
nami that struck northeast- Fukushima Prefecture, is seen. Any plan related to nuclear
ern Japan. Associated Press waste storage tends to get
The annual nuclear white missioning of any reactors to be developed in order safety requirements under strong resistance.
paper, adopted by the Ja- and doesn’t have con- to carry out the tasks effi- post-Fukushima standards. Since the Fukushima acci-
pan Atomic Energy Com- crete plans for the final dis- ciently and smoothly,” the The decommissioning of a dent, only nine reactors in
mission, urges utilities to posal of radioactive waste. report said. “It’s a whole typical reactor costs nearly Japan have restarted, ac-
learn from U.S. and Euro- “Taking into consideration new stage that we have to 60 billion yen ($560 million) counting for about 3% of
pean examples, especially further increase of nuclear proceed to and tackle.” and takes several decades. the country’s energy sup-
those of Germany, France facilities that will be de- Japanese utilities have Citing the government- ply, compared to the gov-
and Britain. Japan hasn’t commissioned, new tech- opted to scrap aged reac- run Japan Atomic Energy ernment’s ambitious 20-
yet completed the decom- nology and systems need tors instead of investing in Agency’s plan to scrap 22% target.q

Kenya park suspends gorge visits after flash flood kills 7

By TOM ODULA thorities said. we were able to call the
Associated Press Ivraj Singh Haye survived guy at the reception ...
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Au- the deluge, but his wife the guide next to me
thorities called off search and five other relatives shouted “tuna bebwa na
and rescue operations af- died. He spoke to the maji(the water is carrying
ter seven bodies were re- Nation Television News us away),”he said.
covered from a flash flood his family stopped at the “We thought rescue will
that killed at least six tour- gorge to “use the wash- come but nothing, my
ists and their driver visiting room,” before the flash relative started going one
the gorges of the famous flood. after the other,” he said .
Hell’s Gate National park. A ranger asked if they His niece, a driver and a
Five Kenyans of Indian de- would want to see the Kenyan couple were able
scent, an Indian national gorge and as they went to avoid being carried
and their Kenyan driver down it started drizzling away for one and a half
died in the Sunday eve- lightly, so they didn’t go hours, he said. And when
ning tragedy, said Paul into gorge, he said. the water flow reduced,
Udoto, spokesman for the “At around 3 p.m. wa- they then got stuck in Police officers carry away a retrieved body after a flash flood
Kenya Wildlife Service. The ter came from nowhere quick sand or silt left from in Hell’s Gate national park near Naivasha, Kenya Monday,
Sept. 2, 2019.
park was also closed, au- and I had my phone and the deluge, he said.q Associated Press