December 13, 2018

More than 110,000 voters in Miyagi Prefecture are seeking a referendum on the reactivation of a local nuclear power plant reactor.

On December 12, a local civil group working to realize the enactment of an ordinance to hold a referendum regarding the Onagawa NPP resumption submitted 113,046 signatures it collected in two months to the prefecture through each municipality's board of elections.

The number of signatures far exceeds the 40,000 (or 2% of Miyagi voters) required for the right to propose an ordinance.

According to the civil group, it will directly request in mid-February that Miyagi Governor Murai Yoshihiro propose an ordinance to hold a referendum on the restart of the Onagawa NPP No.2 reactor which stretches over Onagawa Town and Ishinomaki City.

The group's head, Tatara Satoshi, said at a press conference, "From now on, our organization will start a campaign to have an ordinance bill passed and established in the prefectural assembly."

Past related articles:
> Local citizens increase efforts for decommissioning of nuclear power plant [March 9, 2013]
> Women in Miyagi form network to defend children from radiation [June 3, 2012]