Japan nuclear plant may be on fault

One of Japan's nuclear reactors may be sitting on an active geological fault at high risk of earthquake damage, the country's nuclear watchdog said Wednesday. Officials said the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency plans a survey at the Shika complex in Ishikawa prefecture, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported. Its operator, Hokuriku Electric, could be forced to find alternative sources of electricity for several months. Last year's earthquake and tsunami damaged several reactors at the Fukushima complex, making the country more aware of the risks associated with nuclear power and earthquakes. While two government surveys had earlier determined Shika was not on a fault, NISA re-examined Hokuriku's geological drawings after the Fukushima disaster and concluded a long depression the company blamed on water erosion could actually be the mark of a fault line. In April, the government made a similar finding at the Tsuruga complex in Fukui prefecture operated by Japan Atomic Power Co.