Shunichi Tanaka, the chairman of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has held a meeting with Tokyo Electric Power Co. President Naomi Hirose on Monday in order to discuss issues relating to the management of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Tanaka told the company head that he wanted to hear frank opinions about how to resolve the issue. The meeting was held at the NRA's office building in the country’s capital, Tokyo. The talks might change the course of the NRA's safety checkups at two idled reactors at TEPCO's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata, which are being prepared for restarting but requires approval form the authorities.

Following the discovery of radioactive water leaks and other troubles at the Fukushima plant, the NRA commissioners have raised doubt over the company’s ability to fully understands the situation of workers and if it able to ensure the safety of its staff at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant.

Tepco has been struggling to contain leaks as it has more than 338,000 metric tons of water with different levels of toxicity stored in pits, basements and hundreds of tanks at the Fukushima plant. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe blamed the company for not being able to handle the disaster after it was revealed that Tepco discharged as much as 300 tons of irradiated water into the ocean each day.