Japan prepares to restart worlds biggest nuclear plant, 15 years after Fukushima

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NIIGATA, Japan, Dec 22 - The Japanese region of Niigata is expected to endorse a decision to restart the worlds largest nuclear power plant on Monday, a watershed moment in the countrys pivot back to nuclear since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, located about 220 km (136 miles) northwest of Tokyo, was among 54 reactors shut after a massive earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

Since then, Japan has restarted 14 of the 33 that remain operable, as it tries to wean itself off imported fossil fuels. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa will be the first operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO),which ran the doomed Fukushima plant.

We remain firmly committed to never repeating such an accident and ensuring Niigata residents never experience anything similar, said TEPCO spokesperson Masakatsu Takata.

If approved, TEPCO is considering reactivating the first of seven reactors at the plant on January 20, public broadcaster NHK reported. Takata declined to comment on timing.

RELUCTANT RESIDENTS WARY OF RESTART

TEPCO earlier this year pledged to inject 100 billion yen ($641 million) into the prefecture over the next 10 years as it sought to win the support of Niigata residents.

But many locals remain wary.

A survey published by the prefecture in October found 60% of residents did not think conditions for the restart had been met. Nearly 70% were worried about TEPCO operating the plant.

Ayako Oga, 52, settled in Niigata after fleeing the area around the Fukushima plant in 2011 with 160,000 other evacuees. Her old home was inside the 20 km irradiated exclusion zone.

The farmer and anti-nuclear activist has now joined protests against what she sees