Japan to set reactor lifespan at 60 yrs despite Fukushima

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will allow nuclear reactors to operate for up to 60 years in revised regulations on power plant operators even as it looks to shift gradually away from atomic power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.
The move on Wednesday, which marks the first time Japan will set a limit on a reactor's maximum lifespan, comes while the country debates a new energy strategy that is expected to give agreater role to renewable, clean energy sources.
The government said it aims to introduce the 60-year limit year from now as part of a comprehensive revision of laws regulating nuclear plant operators in the wake of Fukushima, where reactor cooling systems were stopped by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, triggering meltdowns and radiation leaks that led to mass evacuations and widespread contamination.
Public anxiety sparked by Fukushima has prevented there start of many reactors shut for routine checks, and only five of the nation's 54 reactors remain online, prompting utilities to import more fossil fuels to bridge the gap and prevent power cuts. In a rare protest, a group of citizen observers prevented a hearing at the energy ministry in which experts were expected to approve stress test results from Fukui prefecture's Ohi reactors.
 "How can you allow the restart of reactors? We should not put people in Fukui in the same situation as those in Fukushima," said Wako Shichinohe, 59, an observer who came to watch the meeting.