Japan's trade minister said on Friday the government would order special inspections of some nuclear power plants after recent revelations of past safety missteps, possibly leading to longer-than-planned operation halts.Akira Amari of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) told reporters the special inspections might force utilities to shut nuclear units in advance of scheduled closures for mandatory check-ups.
Amari did not say which plants the government would target for special inspections, but he said four companies were responsible for the most serious of 450 recently reported cases of past missteps.
The companies are Tokyo Electric Power, Hokuriku Electric Power, Chugoku Electric Power and Japan Atomic Power.
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