Japan Extended Reactor’s Life, Despite Warning (Published 2011)

TOKYO — Just a month before a powerful earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant at the center of Japan’s nuclear crisis, government regulators approved a 10-year extension for the oldest of the six reactors at the power station despite warnings about its safety. The regulatory committee reviewing extensions pointed to stress cracks in the backup diesel-powered generators at Reac

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"public opposition to nuclear power makes it hard to build new power plants, nuclear operators are lobbying to extend their reactors’ use" "The government, eager to expand the use of nuclear energy and reduce the reliance on imported fossil fuels, has been largely sympathetic"