Japanese utility Kyushu Electric Power said on Monday that it was monitoring activity at a volcano near its Sendai nuclear plant, but did not need to take any special precautions after authorities warned of the risk of a larger-than-usual eruption.
The reactor is the first to be restarted under new safety standards put in place since the meltdowns at Fukushima in 2011.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and much of Japanese industry want reactors to be switched on again to cut fuel bills, but opinion polls show a majority of the public oppose the move after the nuclear crisis triggered by an earthquake and tsunami.
The possibility of a significant eruption of Sakurajima, located about 50 km (30 miles) from Sendai, is a reminder of the volatile geology of Japan, which has 110 active volcanoes.
"We are not currently taking any particular response," Kyushu Electric spokesman Tomomitsu Sakata said by phone.
"There is no impact in particular to the operations" of the Sendai plant, Sakata said. "We will continue to pay close attention to information from the Japan Meteorological Agency."
The 890-megawatt-reactor had reached 50 percent of its output by Sunday and the operator expects full power to be achieved around Aug. 24, Sakata said.
Critics of the nuclear industry say that new safety measures are insufficient, particularly for plants such as Sendai, which is located near five giant calderas, crater-like depressions formed by past eruptions, with the closest one about 40 km away.
The precautions by Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority for volcanic eruptions were "wanting in a number of important respects" and did not meet international standards, said John Large, chief executive of Large & Associates, a nuclear engineering consultancy.
Large wrote a report this year on the Sendai plant's ability to withstand being hit by volcanic ash and has testified in court about the issue.
Sakurajima is one of Japan's most active volcanoes and erupts almost constantly. There was a risk of larger than usual eruption, an official at the Japan Meteorological Agency said on Saturday.
The agency raised the warning level on the peak, about 1,000 km southwest of Tokyo, to an unprecedented 4, for prepare to evacuate, from 3.
Seventy seven residents, who live within a 3 km radius of the craters, have already evacuated following an advisory issued by the city of Kagoshima, which has a population of about 600,000, a city official said on Monday. There have been no injuries or damage so far, he added.
Reuters
Mon Aug 17 2015
![Japan nuclear power firm says no special precautions over volcano Japan nuclear power firm says no special precautions over volcano](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2015-08/81439265523_KYUSHUELECTRIC.jpg)
The reactor is the first to be restarted under new safety standards put in place since the meltdowns at Fukushima in 2011.
![Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur beri amaran, tiada toleransi amalan rasuah Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur beri amaran, tiada toleransi amalan rasuah](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/41723709780_TBMaimunah.jpg)
Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur beri amaran, tiada toleransi amalan rasuah
Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur, Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Mohd Sharif tidak akan bertoleransi terhadap amalan rasuah di Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL).
![Pemandu bas maut, nahas dengan dua lori Pemandu bas maut, nahas dengan dua lori](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/61723708293_TBbasmaut.jpg)
Pemandu bas maut, nahas dengan dua lori
Seorang pemandu bas maut, manakala 11 penumpang kenderaan itu termasuk seorang orang kurang upaya (OKU) cedera dalam kemalangan di Kilometer 49.4, Lebuhraya Utara Selatan pada awal pagi Khamis.
![Bakar rumah penduduk, berang ditegur bercinta dengan isteri orang Bakar rumah penduduk, berang ditegur bercinta dengan isteri orang](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/51723704773_TBkebakaran.jpg)
Bakar rumah penduduk, berang ditegur bercinta dengan isteri orang
Kejadian bermula apabila penduduk melaporkan hubungan terlarang lelaki itu kepada suami wanita tersebut.
![Platform media sosial perlu letak tanda 'notis AI' dalam setiap kandungan AI dimuat naik - Fahmi Platform media sosial perlu letak tanda 'notis AI' dalam setiap kandungan AI dimuat naik - Fahmi](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/41723708198_TBFAhmi.jpg)
Platform media sosial perlu letak tanda 'notis AI' dalam setiap kandungan AI dimuat naik - Fahmi
Platform media sosial dikehendaki meletakkan notis 'Kecerdasan Buatan (AI)' dalam setiap kandungan AI yang dimuat naik.
![Wajah, suara disalah guna 'scammer', Khairul Aming beri peringatan Wajah, suara disalah guna 'scammer', Khairul Aming beri peringatan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/41723702833_TBKhairulAming.jpg)
Wajah, suara disalah guna 'scammer', Khairul Aming beri peringatan
Khairul Aming meluahkan kebimbangan apabila pihak tidak bertanggungjawab menggunakan wajah dan suaranya untuk menjual barangan kepada golongan berusia.
MBSB Bank bekerjasama dengan INSKEN, MAIJ lancar program untuk komuniti asnaf
Program tersebut bertujuan untuk mentransformasikan kewangan sosial Islam dengan memperkasakan individu dalam komuniti asnaf melalui latihan intensif, sokongan kewangan dan bimbingan berterusan.
![Buli siber: Sophia Albarakbah kumpul bukti Buli siber: Sophia Albarakbah kumpul bukti](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/61723696968_SophiaAlbarakbah.jpg)
Buli siber: Sophia Albarakbah kumpul bukti
Aktres Sophia Albarakbah kini giat mengumpul bukti untuk mengheret pihak tidak bertanggungjawab termasuk pembuli siber ke muka pengadilan.
![Suri rumah dilaporkan hilang, ditemui mati dibunuh dalam bilik Suri rumah dilaporkan hilang, ditemui mati dibunuh dalam bilik](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/81723706198_TBsurirumahmaut.jpg)
Suri rumah dilaporkan hilang, ditemui mati dibunuh dalam bilik
Seorang wanita yang sebelum ini dilaporkan hilang ditemui meninggal dunia disyaki dibunuh dalam bilik tidur rumahnya di Indera Mahkota di sini pada petang Rabu.
![Faisal Halim bukti 'pendekar' sejati - Irfan Bakti Faisal Halim bukti 'pendekar' sejati - Irfan Bakti](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/81723294016_FaisalHalim.jpg)
Faisal Halim bukti 'pendekar' sejati - Irfan Bakti
Faisal Halim layak dilabel pejuang sejati apabila mampu bangkit walaupun berdepan trauma selepas menjadi mangsa simbahan asid pada Mei lalu.
![Polis mohon bantuan kesan Raisya Rasyiqah Polis mohon bantuan kesan Raisya Rasyiqah](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/61723705839_TBHilang.jpg)
Polis mohon bantuan kesan Raisya Rasyiqah
Polis memohon bantuan orang ramai mengesan seorang remaja perempuan berusia 15 tahun yang dilaporkan hilang di Beranang, Selangor.