Fukushima nuclear plant operator in Japan says it has no new safety concerns after Jan. 1 quake

TOKYO (AP) — The operator of the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan said Tuesday it has no new safety worries and envisions no changes to the plant’s decommissioning plans even after a deadly earthquake on Jan. 1 caused minor damage to another idled nuclear plant, rekindling concerns and prompting a regulatory body to order a close examination.

The magnitude 7.6 quake on New Year’s Day and dozens of strong aftershocks in Japan’s north-central region have left 222 people dead and 22 unaccounted for. The main quake also caused a small tsunami.

Two reactors at the Shika nuclear power plant on the western coast of the quake-struck Noto peninsula survived. But its operator, Hokuriku Electric Power Co., later reported temporary power outages due to damage to transformers, the spilling of radioactive water from spent fuel cooling pools and cracks on the ground, but no radiation leaked outside.

“At the moment, we believe there won’t be any change to our (Fukushima Daiichi decommissioning) plan because of the Noto quake,” said Akira Ono, the head of the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings’ decommissioning unit for Fukushima Daiichi.

He said TEPCO’s assessment confirmed the integrity of all Fukushima Daiichi reactor buildings even in the potential case of a quake 1.5 times as powerful as the one that struck in March 2011.

The magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that year destroyed key cooling systems at the plant, triggering triple meltdowns, spewing radioactive materials to surrounding areas and leaving some areas still unlivable.

Ono added that TEPCO’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world’s largest, which holds seven reactors in its complex and is located 118 kilometers (73 miles) east