TOKYO -- The company that caused Japan's worst nuclear accident said Wednesday it wants to resume operations as soon as possible.
JCO Co. wants to resume making nuclear fuel after resolving safety issues, compensating victims and gaining approval from local and national governments, said Katsunori Suzuki, a company spokesman. Suzuki said JCO would like to solve those problems this year."We have a responsibility to protect employment," he said.
JCO's facility in Tokaimura, 70 miles northeast of Tokyo, has been shut down since two workers accidentally set off an uncontrolled nuclear reaction on Sept. 30.
One of the workers, Hisashi Ouchi, 35, died late last month from radiation sickness, becoming the first fatality from an accident at a Japanese nuclear facility.
Another worker remains hospitalized. At least 93 more people were exposed to less serious doses of radiation, according to the country's Science and Technology Agency.
An investigation into the Tokaimura accident found that workers at the plant routinely violated safety procedures, including mixing uranium in buckets to get the job done quickly. JCO and its parent company, Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., are under investigation for possible criminal violations.
The company last week fulfilled a promise by paying $488 to residents of each house within a radius of 400 yards of the plant, Kyodo News agency said. Its report cited unidentified company officials.
The company also gave $293 to some people living outside that radius, the report said. The officials declined to say how many people were paid.
Residents and businesses earlier had criticized the cash offer as inadequate.