TOKYO (AP) — Japan's Cabinet has approved a bill designed to put a 40-year cap on the operational life of nuclear reactors as one of several steps to improve safety after last year's Fukushima disaster.
The legislation introduced Tuesday still needs parliamentary approval to take effect.
Japan currently has no legal limit on the operational lifespan of reactors.
The bill allows an extension of up to 20 years in some cases — an exception that critics have blasted as a loophole. Officials have said extensions will be rare and require strict safety standards.
One of three reactors at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Dai-ichi plant has been operating for 41 years, and five others have been operating for more than 30 years.
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