Japan Press Weekly

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2020 February 11 - 18 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Mayors against nuclear power oppose ocean release of radioactive water

A network of mayors calling for a Japan free of nuclear power generation held a forum in Tsuruga City in Fukui Prefecture on February 16 and published a statement opposing the discharge of radioactively-contaminated water into the ocean and calling for a policy shift to decommission all nuclear power reactors.

The "Mayors for a Nuclear Power Free Japan" network consists of more than 100 sitting and former municipal mayors in Japan.

Seven members of this group called a press conference and argued that the ocean release of radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant will hamper post-nuclear disaster recovery. They stated that the central government should review the present energy policy which is full of lies and take the path toward the decommissioning of all nuclear power plants.

They also claimed that reactivation of reactors more than 40 years old is unacceptable.

In the statement, they demanded that the disposal of radioactive water at the Fukushima Daiichi include long-term storage, and that all decisions be made with the consensus of local communities in a transparent manner.

Hirao Michio, mayor of Maibara City in Shiga Prefecture, in his speech at the forum said, "Currently-suspended reactors are about to be put back online without careful consideration. There are several media outlets, scholars, and politicians who still give incorrect information regarding the nuclear energy issue."

In opposition to the Abe government's policy of resuming offline reactors, Muranishi Toshio, former mayor of Aisho Town in Shiga Prefecture, said, "The majority of the people in Japan prefer not to depend on nuclear power, but the central government gives no heed to them. It seems to me that Japan is not a democratic country."

Past related article:
> Mayors’ group issues proposal to break with nuclear power [August 1, 2012]