Japan Plans Safety Tests of Nuclear Plants

Stress test time.
this could come up nothing but bad news for Japans Nuclear power plants.

Do they really know what the constant bombardment of earthquakes will do to a containment pit? Concrete can be fragile, stress cracks, shrinkage, crazing, all are constant problems with Concrete structures.

So with the help of Earthquakes, who knows what shape the reactors are in.


The New York Times
TOKYO — Japan will conduct new safety tests of its nuclear plants, the nation’s top energy official said on Wednesday, in a move aimed at persuading local communities to allow the restarting of idled nuclear reactors.

The official, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda, said the so-called stress tests will measure the plants’ ability to withstand larger-than-expected earthquakes and tsunamis, like those that disabled the Fukushima Daiichi plant in March.

He said the tests, which are modeled on those conducted by the European Union on its plants, are intended to give “a sense of assurance” to local residents.