Kashiwazaki City Council says 'No' to pluthermal project

As public concern over the safety of nuclear power plants increases following the revelation of falsification of checkup records and cover-ups, the Kashiwazaki City Assembly has called for a halt to the controversial "pluthermal" project which has been promoted at a plant in a district that includes the city.

"Pluthermal" is a project that uses plutonium taken out of spent plutonium together with uranium as fuel for reactors. In disregard of residents' strong opposition, Tokyo Electric Power Co. has promoted it.

On September 6, the Kashiwazaki City Assembly adopted a resolution demanding a halt to the "pluthermal" project. It also called for Niigata Prefecture, Kashiwazaki City, and Kariwa Village to revoke this approval of the project.

Sixteen out of the 29 city assembly members, including many conservative members, voted in favor of the resolution which had been proposed by seven members, including a Japanese Communist Party member.

The resolution said:

"We are appalled by the revelation that Tokyo Electric Power Co. has long falsified and covered up reactor check-up records, and that the Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency can no longer carry out their functions to check reactors. The trust of the people and local residents in the state and TEPCO has collapsed quickly regarding safety assurances which are the most important task for operating nuclear power stations." (end)