Japan restarts 1st nuke reactor after Fukushima disaster

PanARMENIAN.Net - Dozens of protesters shouted and danced at the gate of a nuclear power plant as it restarted Sunday, July 1, the first to go back online since Japan shut down all of its reactors for safety checks following the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the Associated Press reported.

Ohi nuclear plant's reactor No. 3 returned to operation despite a deep division in public opinion. Last month, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda ordered the restarts of reactors No. 3 and nearby No. 4, saying people's living standards can't be maintained without nuclear energy. Many citizens are against a return to nuclear power because of safety fears after the Fukushima accident.

All 50 of Japan's working reactors were gradually turned off in the wake of last year's massive earthquake and tsunami, which sent the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant into multiple meltdowns, setting off the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

But worries about a power crunch over the hot summer months have been growing. Oil imports are soaring. Officials have warned about blackouts in some regions.

The government has been carrying out new safety tests on nuclear plants, and says Ohi No. 3 and No. 4 are safe to restart.