Chubu Electric heads to quit in quake data scandal: reports

Chubu Electric Power President Kingo Hayashi and Chairman Satoru Katsuno will step down after a quake data-tampering scandal at the Hamaoka nuclear plant, Japanese media reported on Monday.

Public broadcaster NHK and other local media reported the leadership changes. Chubu Electric Power was not immediately available for comment, and the company was expected to hold a press conference later in the day.

The Hamaoka plant, in Omaezaki in Shizuoka prefecture, has been undergoing regulatory safety checks as Chubu Electric aimed to restart two reactors. In January, the operator said it had submitted data to regulators that underestimated earthquake risks.

The Nikkei business daily reported that Chubu Electric will withdraw its application for the safety review process.

An independent panel report released on Monday said management's reprimand over delays in the restart review had put pressure on staff and was one factor contributing to the misconduct.

Japan is seeking to revive nuclear power 15 years after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami sent reactors at the Fukushima atomic plant into meltdown. The Hamaoka plant is in an area of central Japan considered at risk from a possible major Nankai Trough earthquake.