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Japan to Run Stress Tests on Nuclear Power Plants


International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection team members watch No.3 reactor at the crippled Tokyo Electric Power Co. Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, in this handout photo taken and released by TEPCO, (File)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection team members watch No.3 reactor at the crippled Tokyo Electric Power Co. Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, in this handout photo taken and released by TEPCO, (File)

The Japanese government says it will conduct stress tests on all the country's nuclear reactors to determine whether they can withstand a natural disaster.

Trade Minister Banri Kaieda told reporters Wednesday that tests will be conducted on all 54 operational reactors to ensure there will be no problems with power supplies.

The decision follows a disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which has been leaking radiation into the air, ground and sea since a March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The disasters knocked out the cooling systems at Fukushima, which led to a meltdown in three of its reactors.

The accident is the world's most severe nuclear crisis since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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