Nuclear Plant Operator Accused of Faking Earthquake Safety Data

The operator of a nuclear power plant in central Japan has admitted its staff may have manipulated safety data. The alleged fraud was intended to help the plant pass a key regulatory review for restart. Chubu Electric Power said on Monday that employees might have "cherry-picked" data. This data was used in tests to prove the Hamaoka plant could withstand a major earthquake. The plant is located in a region seen as high-risk for a powerful quake. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority acted immediately. It announced it had found "wrongdoing" by the utility company. The agency has now stopped its safety review of the plant entirely. This incident is a major setback for Japan's government. Officials have been pushing to restart idled nuclear reactors to ensure stable energy supplies. Public concern over nuclear safety has remained high since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.