April 1, 2011
Prime Minister Kan Naoto stated he will reconsider the plan to build 14 or more new nuclear reactors in response to requests from JCP Chair Shii Kazuo calling for a cancellation of the plan.
Shii visited the office of the Prime Minister on March 31 to hand over a “Proposal for the Great East Japan Disaster” to PM Kan.
In the meeting, Shii urged Kan to call off the plan for the construction of 14 or more additional reactors and to adopt a nuclear energy administration policy that places priority on safety.
Kan stated, “Needless to say, it is necessary to inspect the existing nuclear power plants, but we also need to have fundamental discussions about safety issues concerning the future use of nuclear power,” and said that he will examine energy policy overall. He added, “I intend to examine” the viability of constructing additional reactors.
Shii said, “I want the Prime Minister to address the public in regard to what kind of strategies and visions the government has to deal with the on-going nuclear meltdown crisis.” Kan said, “We have to scrap the nuclear power plants in question. I will provide information about the decommissioning of the plant when necessary.”
Shii also demanded an increase in the payment of aid from the present limit of three million yen under the Natural Disaster Victims Relief Law for disaster victims whose houses are fully destroyed.
As for the reconstruction budget, Shii stressed the need to fully revise the overall budget, including the previously approved corporate tax reductions and extension of preferential securities tax of two trillion yen. In order to make an appropriate use of large corporations’ internal reserves amounting to 244 trillion yen, Shii further proposed that the government issue “earthquake disaster reconstruction bonds,” and compel large corporations to purchase the bonds. Kan stated, “I will take these proposals into consideration.”
Shii visited the office of the Prime Minister on March 31 to hand over a “Proposal for the Great East Japan Disaster” to PM Kan.
In the meeting, Shii urged Kan to call off the plan for the construction of 14 or more additional reactors and to adopt a nuclear energy administration policy that places priority on safety.
Kan stated, “Needless to say, it is necessary to inspect the existing nuclear power plants, but we also need to have fundamental discussions about safety issues concerning the future use of nuclear power,” and said that he will examine energy policy overall. He added, “I intend to examine” the viability of constructing additional reactors.
Shii said, “I want the Prime Minister to address the public in regard to what kind of strategies and visions the government has to deal with the on-going nuclear meltdown crisis.” Kan said, “We have to scrap the nuclear power plants in question. I will provide information about the decommissioning of the plant when necessary.”
Shii also demanded an increase in the payment of aid from the present limit of three million yen under the Natural Disaster Victims Relief Law for disaster victims whose houses are fully destroyed.
As for the reconstruction budget, Shii stressed the need to fully revise the overall budget, including the previously approved corporate tax reductions and extension of preferential securities tax of two trillion yen. In order to make an appropriate use of large corporations’ internal reserves amounting to 244 trillion yen, Shii further proposed that the government issue “earthquake disaster reconstruction bonds,” and compel large corporations to purchase the bonds. Kan stated, “I will take these proposals into consideration.”
