Stress Tests Do Little to Change Japanese Public Opinion of Nuclear Energy

KOFU-SHI, JAPAN--July 25, 2011--Researched by Industrial Info Resources East Asia (Kofu-shi, Japan)--Last week, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) released further information regarding Japan's pending nuclear stress tests. As it stands now, the stress tests are to be broken into two separate stages. The first stage, which will be applied to those reactors downed for maintenance will take into account a nuclear power station's ability to cope with stressors. These include earthquakes, tsunami, loss of power and the inability to vent heat in the case of emergency. Stage two will determine whether or not the nuclear energy industry as a whole should continue by evaluating how plants are able to cope with a combination of stressors. The government proposed stress tests in order to calm public anxiety over nuclear energy, however over the past month, political unrest has done little to assuage public fear.