日本批准重啓兩座核反應堆
Japan's nuclear regulator has given final approval to restart two reactors shut down following the Fukushima nuclear meltdown three years ago.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said Wednesday that the Sendai power plant in southwestern Japan could reopen, although local approval is still needed.
Some activists say the plant is not safe because of nearby volcanoes, though regulators have said the danger from this is minimal.
It would be the first of Japan's nuclear plants to restart under stricter standards following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.
Japan switched off its nuclear reactors for maintenance after the Fukushima accident crippled the plant and exposed the surrounding area to radiation. Since then, Japanese citizens have faced higher energy prices as the nation switched its dependence to fossil fuels.
But opposition to nuclear energy in Japan remains strong, with repeated protests staged in front of the office of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has been pushing to get Japan's nuclear plants running again.
Nuclear energy once supplied more than quarter of the power in resource-starved Japan.日本原子能規制委員會最終覈准重新啓用兩座核反應堆。3年前，這兩座核反應堆在福島核電站發生熔燬事故後關閉。
日本原子能規制委員會星期三說，日本西南部的仙台核電站可能重新啓動，但還需要得到當地政府的批准。
一些活動人士說，由於附近有火山，該核電站不安全，但日本原子能規制委員會認爲這種危險微乎其微。
2011年地震和海嘯後日本對核電站制定了更嚴格的標準。仙台核電站是根據這些標準重新啓用的第一個。
福島核電站事故使周邊地區遭到核輻射，此後日本當局關閉了所有核反應堆並加以維修。自那時以來，日本轉而依靠礦物燃料，民衆要承受較高的能源價格。
但日本國內反對核能源的聲音仍然很強。安倍首相的官邸前不斷髮生抗議活動。安倍一直努力推動日本重啓核電站。
日本能源短缺，核能源一度佔日本所需能源總量的四分之一以上。
