Until last year, Japan had required plans to be built towithstand a 6.5-magnitude quake. In September, thegovernment began implementing tougher guidelines, thoughthey have not set a fresh magnitude level. Regulators acknowledge they need to take a fresh look atthe rules. «Earthquake safety at nuclear facilities is an issue ofutmost concern to the public, and it's imperative that weensure safety as soon as possible,» said Atsuyuki Suzuki,chairman of the Nuclear Safety Commission. For some scientists, however, no guidelines would beenough to protect a plant. Katsuhiko Ishibashi, earthquake specialist at KobeUniversity's Research Center for Urban Safety and Security,said one problem is that scientists are unable to pinpointfault lines with any accuracy. «This situation clearly showed the insufficiency of theold guidelines for examining the seismic design of nuclearpower plants,» he said, arguing no plant could survive adirect hit from an earthquake. The troubles facing Japan's nuclear industry come just asit is getting a shot of fresh energy from concern overclimate change. Atomic power figured high in thegovernment's proposal to cut world greenhouse gas emissionsin half by 2050. Japan has 55 reactors producing about 30 percent of itselectricity, with plans to build another 11 reactors by2017, eventually boosting nuclear power's share ofelectricity production to 40 percent. Down the road, the government is pushing for developmentof next generation light water reactors around 2030, andso-called «fast-breeder» reactors that produce plutoniumthat can be reused as fuel, fulfilling a Japanese dream ofenergy self-sufficiency. Japan, however, already faces difficulties in findingcommunities willing to host reactors, mostly because of along list of past accidents and cover-ups of malfunctions _including some at TEPCO. The problems at Kashiwazaki could make that expansion evenmore difficult. While many Japanese understand the need forenergy to power the world's second-largest economy, theyare hesitant to trust operators. «It is impossible to guarantee 100 percent safety,»conceded Yumi Shimoda, a 40-year-old marketing consultantin Tokyo. «But what scares me is the fact that they triedto cover up the truth in order to claim safety.»--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/468942