A nuclear power reactor in western Japan has stopped automatically after a valve used to send steam to one of its turbines suddenly closed, but there was no leakage of radioactivity, authorities said. Nuclear safety officials in Fukui prefecture (state) said they were investigating the cause of the shutdown at Japan Atomic Power Co.’s Tsuruga plant, 330km NW of Tokyo. An early check showed there had been no irregularities in the reactor’s operation, the Fukui nuclear safety response team said in a statement. Technicians have been conducting tests on the reactor’s valves.
