City in Ibaraki agrees to nuclear waste disposal survey
The mayor of Hitachiomiya City, Ibaraki Prefecture, north of Tokyo, says he will accept the central government's request to conduct the initial phase of a survey to select a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste generated by nuclear power plants.
Mayor Suzuki Sadayuki made the announcement on Wednesday.
The first phase is called a literature survey. It has been carried out, or is underway, in four municipalities so far.
Hitachiomiya is the second one to agree to such a survey at the central government's initiative, following Tokyo's Ogasawara Village.ใ
On August 31, the industry ministry requested permission from Hitachiomiya City to carry out the literature survey.
The Hitachiomiya City mayor met with Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akazawa Ryosei on Tuesday and conveyed concerns from city assembly members and residents over possible reputational damage. Suzuki indicated that the concerns had mostly been resolved by the ministry's response.
Suzuki officially announced the city's acceptance of the literature survey at Wednesday's news conference, saying he made the decision after careful consideration.
Suzuki said one of the main reasons for accepting is that as radioactive waste from nuclear power plants will continue to accumulate in the future, action for geological disposal, or burying the waste deep underground, is an urgent national issue.
He explained that this major national project could substantially help the city to survive. Hitachiomiya City, with its diminishing population, is considered a municipality with a risk of disappearing.
Meanwhile, on the issue of not briefing residents before making his decision, Suzuki said he considered the literature survey as a starting point for communication with the local community.
Suzuki said thorough explanations will be provided to residents during the two years of the survey. He added the city would not be able to move on to the next phase unless it gains the understanding of the local people.
The Japanese government's basic energy plan issued last year called for making maximum use of nuclear power for generating electricity, a shift from its previous policy to reduce reliance on it. The energy plan is the basis for the country's electric power policy.
The basic plan also makes the selection of final disposal sites for "nuclear waste" as an "important issue" for the long-term use of nuclear power plants and clearly states that the government will take the lead.
The government in January of this year said that final disposal is an unavoidable national issue and sent a letter to the governors of Japan's 47 prefectures seeking their understanding. Industry Minister Akazawa Ryosei said that he wants to tackle the issue even more assertively than before.
The future nuclear energy policy that was decided in July also called for increasing the number of locations for carrying out surveys. It clearly stated that the central government will take responsibility for not only the process of responding to local opinions, but also for making requests to regions.
