Kyodo
Seven prefectures with a total of 11 nuclear reactors shut down for regular inspections say they can't decide whether to bring them back on line before the central government clarifies new safety criteria.
The prefectures' departments in charge of nuclear power say their indecision is based on the central government's request last month to shut down the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture due to safety concerns.
Located on a major active fault zone, the Hamaoka plant was suspended in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
The central government is urging that reactors that have undergone regular checkups be restarted before the peak summer demand period, but the request to halt the Hamaoka plant has made other prefectural authorities reluctant to approve the resumption of operations.
The seven prefectures are Hokkaido, Aomori, Ishikawa, Fukui, Ehime, Saga and Kagoshima.
The central government submitted a report on its nuclear safety measures to the International Atomic Energy Agency, but Fukui Prefecture said the measures aren't enough to dispel public concerns.
The prefectures said the government should explain how it can determine that plants other than Hamaoka are safe.