As for restarting the nuclear power plants, who will decide?

The process for the restart of the nuclear power plants is going on in Japan. The power companies are supposed to submit the stress test, which was given by NISA, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, after the test with the same name in Europe. NISA is judging the test result, which is confirmed by NSC, the Nuclear Safety Committee. The government finally determines, being based on the test result, if the nuclear power plants will be restarted their operation. It has been a routine process for the power company to explain and convince about the resart to the local government which has certain nuclear power plant in its area. Recently, The Chief Cabinet Secretary has told that process has not necessarily been based on any law and could be omitted.

There are a few serious problems in this scheme.

How could the government determine if the resart is proper or not? That process should be based on highly scientific research. The government is least appropriate for that. Both NISA and NSC already declared that they won't make that decision by themselves. The administrators escaped from the responsibility for the decision. This political decision seems quite bizzare.

The test is also questioned by professional people such as an engineer of plant group. The test is just a virtual one to qualify the design to be allowable for the assumed intensity of natural disasters. Not like that in Europe, it is not designed to pursue the weakness of the plants nor is under peer review.

Both NISA and NSC, which have been under the influence of Min of Trade and Industry, have been supportive to the parties which have carried forward the nuclear power plant plans. The tragedy in Fukushima revealed they have never seriously considered about the retreat from rigid plans for nuclear power plant construction or about the threats by natural disaters on the nuclear power plants. They are responsible for forming and supporting the safety myth, which tells japanese nuclear power plants are free from any serious accidents. The same organizations will never conclude anything negative from the test results.