TOKYO - Japan's industry ministry on Friday ordered Chubu Electric Power Co. to improve operations following its manipulation of seismic data during screening for the restart of reactors at the utility's nuclear power plant in central Japan.
The company has already withdrawn its applications for regulatory screening to restart the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture.
The ministry requested the company to submit a business improvement plan including measures to prevent a recurrence and strengthen compliance with laws and regulations.
In September, the company disclosed a report compiled by an investigative committee of external lawyers that concluded the utility's internal culture justified the misconduct.
The utility's president at the time, Kingo Hayashi, as well as its chairman, Satoru Katsuno, and senior adviser, Akihisa Mizuno, both former presidents, stepped down in the same month to take responsibility.
The utility has been hit by a series of scandals, including document falsification related to decommissioning work for the Hamaoka plant's Nos. 1 and 2 reactors, as well as the overcharging of customers for electricity.
