Quake-damaged reactor nears restart

NIIGATA, Japan, April 8 (UPI) -- The Niigata provincial governor suggests he will allow the restart of a nuclear power plant reactor shut down since a 2007 Japanese earthquake.

Gov. Hirohiko Izumida says he plans to meet soon with the mayors of Kashiwazaki and Kariwamura, which are located near the power plant. He then is expected to inform Tokyo Electric Power Co. of the local sentiment regarding the reactor, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported Wednesday.

Izumida said the No. 7 reactor at the utility's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station has "on the whole, been confirmed safe."

The power plant's seven reactors have been shut down since the July, 2007 quake.