Residents of a remote village in Niigata Prefecture must choose between jobs and safety as they weigh a request to restart the world's biggest nuclear plant, shut for more than a year after a deadly earthquake triggered a fire and radiation leaks.
A committee appointed by the prefecture said Wednesday it agrees with the judgment of Tokyo Electric Power Co. and the central government that one of the reactors is now safe to restart. The decision comes two weeks after a fire at the station — the eighth since the shutdown — revived fears that the plant isn't ready.
"I live near the plant, and I'm scared when I think about something happening," said Kyoko Sato, 66, a housewife in the village of Kariwa. "But I also know that financially, the restart is essential for the village. I can't decide — it's difficult."