Japan’s industry ministry on Nov. 6 ordered Chubu Electric Power to improve operations after the utility manipulated seismic data during regulatory screening for restarting reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture. The company has withdrawn applications to restart the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry requested a business improvement plan covering measures to prevent a recurrence and strengthen compliance with laws and regulations. An investigative committee of external lawyers said in a September report that the utility’s internal culture justified the misconduct. Kingo Hayashi, president at the time, and chairman Satoru Katsuno and senior adviser Akihisa Mizuno, both former presidents, stepped down in September. The utility has also faced scandals involving falsified documents for decommissioning work on Hamaoka’s Nos. 1 and 2 reactors and overcharging electricity customers.