"We've explained to the prime minister the new safety standards," said Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano after the meeting, which followed initial talks Tuesday. But Edano said the government wouldn't likely reach a decision to restart any reactors when they meet again Friday.
The draft, which will be formally announced after the Friday meeting, stipulates that reactors must pass initial stress tests, and that they be able to withstand a Fukushima-level earthquake and tsunami.
It also demands that the operators of nuclear reactors "clearly demonstrate" their intention secure safety and fulfill any additional safety regulations in the future.
The meetings, which included Environment Minister Goshi Hosono and Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura, come amid sharp differences on whether to restart the country's reactors, almost all of which have been idled following regular maintenance since the Fukushima nuclear disaster that began last year.
The meetings also come after the results of the first stage of computer simulation stress tests on Kansai Electric Power Co.'s (9503.TO) Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at the Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture were approved by two regulatory bodies.
At the first meeting, Noda ordered his government to draw up "provisional safety standards" before any decision to restart reactors.
Edano said Thursday he presented the standards to the prime minister, who accepted them. Friday's meeting will focus on compiling the standards in transparent language that the public can understand, Edano said.
Fukui governor Issei Nishikawa has demanded that new safety standards based on the lessons from Fukushima be developed before the Oi reactors are restarted. The governors of adjacent Shiga and Kyoto prefectures have also voiced concerns about safety. Many citizen's groups also say the government hasn't demonstrated that any restart plans would be safe.
Winning approval of restarts from those living near nuclear plants is seen as a major challenge for Noda's administration. After the evacuations that followed the Fukushima Daiichi accident in March 2011, many local communities started pushing for a greater say in nuclear-plant operations in their areas. But the government hasn't clarified whether it will act only if it wins explicit support from local leaders.
Fujimura said at a press conference earlier Thursday that consent for restarts from local residents "isn't required by law."
Many business leaders have expressed concerns about the impact of power shortages on companies during the peak summer months. Before the Fukushima disaster, nuclear power provided 30% of Japan's electricity needs.
Only one reactor now remains online, the No. 3 unit at the Tomari plant on the northern island of Hokkaido, slated to shut down May 5.
The first stage of stress tests have been conducted on all reactors since the disaster, with the results to be used as a factor in the decision to restart.
The first stage of the tests gauges the possibility of meltdown under certain conditions. A second stage, yet to be completed, is meant to determine if there are adequate safety measures in place in the event of a radiation leak.
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