Japanese utility execs resign over falsified quake safety data for 2 nuclear reactors

Two top executives at Chubu Electric Power, the operator of Japan's Hamaoka nuclear plant, have resigned amid a data-tampering scandal, and the company has announced it will not proceed with restarting two reactors at the facility. Hamaoka, located in central Japan, is situated near a seismic fault line where a massive earthquake is expected to occur in the coming years or decades.

The scandal came to light in January when Chubu Electric Power admitted that it had submitted data to regulators that underestimated earthquake risks. In a statement, the company's President, Kingo Hayashi, and Chairman, Satoru Katsuno, stepped down from their positions. Hayashi expressed feeling a "heavy sense of responsibility" and a "profound sense of regret" for the company's inability to prioritize compliance and safety over other priorities.

A 250-page report released by an independent panel on Monday revealed that management's reprimand over delays in the restart review process created pressure on staff, contributing to the misconduct. The report also highlighted that the estimate of maximum seismic ground motion, crucial for the earthquake-resistant design of nuclear plants, was a key factor in the scandal.

Japan had previously halted its nuclear power program following the Fukushima disaster in 2011. However, the resource-poor nation is now seeking to revive atomic energy to reduce its heavy reliance on fossil fuels, achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and meet growing energy demands from advancements in artificial intelligence. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, the world's largest nuclear plant, restarted operations earlier this year.