June 26, 2014
More than half the population of a city near the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima has signed a petition in opposition to the resumption of operations of the currently-suspended reactors at the NPP.
Ichikikushikino City is located next to Satsumasendai City which hosts the plant’s two reactors. The whole area of Ichikikushikino City is within a radius of 30km from the reactors.
On June 24, accompanied by Japanese Communist Party member of the city assembly Fukuda Michiyo, a group of citizens who began the signature drive in May submitted to City Mayor Tabata Seiichi the petition signed by 15,464 residents.
They said, “We don’t want to pass on this negative legacy to our grandchildren,” “It will be too late if an accident occurs,” and “Many residents are not sure if we can really evacuate safely in an emergency.”
The mayor responded by saying, “I will take your concerns into serious consideration.”
The petition singles out the city’s evacuation plan as being too sloppy, requesting that the city mayor and the assembly speaker urge the prefectural government to review the plan. The petition also requests that the plant operator keep its reactors shut down.
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City assembly calls for effective evacuation plan
The Ichikikushikino City Assembly on June 26 unanimously adopted a resolution calling on Kagoshima Governor Ito Yuichiro to establish an effective evacuation plan in the event of a nuclear accident for the sake of the citizens’ lives.
This is the first resolution of its kind among the nine municipalities required to compile an escape plan because they are located within a 30km-zone from the Sendai NPP.
The resolution requests that the plan encompass all the people who need support as well as all the vulnerable persons so that they can take shelter safely.
It also demands that the duration of time to get out of the 30km range be accomplished within a few hours, and that several evacuation centers and routes be secured in case of unexpected wind shifts.
Ichikikushikino City is located next to Satsumasendai City which hosts the plant’s two reactors. The whole area of Ichikikushikino City is within a radius of 30km from the reactors.
On June 24, accompanied by Japanese Communist Party member of the city assembly Fukuda Michiyo, a group of citizens who began the signature drive in May submitted to City Mayor Tabata Seiichi the petition signed by 15,464 residents.
They said, “We don’t want to pass on this negative legacy to our grandchildren,” “It will be too late if an accident occurs,” and “Many residents are not sure if we can really evacuate safely in an emergency.”
The mayor responded by saying, “I will take your concerns into serious consideration.”
The petition singles out the city’s evacuation plan as being too sloppy, requesting that the city mayor and the assembly speaker urge the prefectural government to review the plan. The petition also requests that the plant operator keep its reactors shut down.
* * *
City assembly calls for effective evacuation plan
The Ichikikushikino City Assembly on June 26 unanimously adopted a resolution calling on Kagoshima Governor Ito Yuichiro to establish an effective evacuation plan in the event of a nuclear accident for the sake of the citizens’ lives.
This is the first resolution of its kind among the nine municipalities required to compile an escape plan because they are located within a 30km-zone from the Sendai NPP.
The resolution requests that the plan encompass all the people who need support as well as all the vulnerable persons so that they can take shelter safely.
It also demands that the duration of time to get out of the 30km range be accomplished within a few hours, and that several evacuation centers and routes be secured in case of unexpected wind shifts.
