Japan gives preliminary OK to restart 2 reactors

Japans economy minister said Monday two nuclear reactors tentatively met government safety standards even though completing improvements will take several years, paving the way for final approval for their startup soon.All but one of Japans 54 reactors are offline for regular safety checks, and the last will be shut down in May. Residents fear another disaster like the Fukushima crisis, but Japan faces a severe power shortage if reactors are not restarted.The government issued new safety guidelines last Friday to address residents worries. In response, Kansai Electric Power Co. submitted its safety plans earlier Monday for two reactors at the Ohi plant in Fukui prefecture, saying the full upgrades will take up to three years.Hours later, Economy and Industry Minister Yukio Edano said the No. 3 and 4 reactors at the Ohi plant more or less met our safety standards.Edano said top officials will go over the checklist one more time before making a final evaluation, then discuss a possible startup in light of electricity demands during the hot summer months. Kansai Electric said Monday that its service area, including Osaka and Kyoto, will face up to 20 percent of power shortage during the summer if the reactors stayed offline.