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2011 July 6 - 12 TOP3 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

Local mayor and business deeply involved in NPP money

Sunday edition

Genkai Town Mayor Kishimoto Hideo once approved the restart of off-line reactors at the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant in Saga Prefecture, ahead of other reactor-hosting municipal heads. Though retracting his consent later, Kishimoto was at first saying, “There are no safety-related problems to forestall a restart.” Akahata Sunday edition found out that he has been deeply involved in a “community of interest” supporting the NPP for 40 years.

Mayor Kishimoto, major shareholder of NPP-related works company Kishimoto Corp.

Mayor Kishimoto is the second largest shareholder of local leading construction firm, Kishimoto Corporation, after its president who is his brother. Until he won a prefectural assembly seat in 1995, he served as the company’s executive director.

Kishimoto Corporation receives many orders for construction work at the Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc. (Kyuden) Genkai NPP. Between FY2007 and FY2009, for example, the company obtained 19 orders for Genkai NPP-related work amounting to 435 million yen. It also took on 8 orders for work amounting to 103 million yen from Kyuden’s subsidiary Nishinippon Plant Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd.

According to a Kishimoto Corporation history, it entered into NPP work soon after the construction of the Genkai NPP Unit 1 began in 1973. Establishing an office on site in 1976, the company has repeatedly received orders for work at the plant.

Kishimoto Corporation’s FY2009 report shows that Genkai Town ranks at the top of its most important clients after Kyuden. The report also states that it will further strengthen relations with them.

Kishimoto Corporation wins contracts for Genkai Town’s public works

The central government has given an enormous amount in grants to municipalities where NPPs are located. Genkai Town is no exception. The town has promoted public works projects costing approximately 18.5 billion yen with large portion of the NPP-related government subsidy during the 30 years since 1975.

The town in 1987 constructed a town hall and a town gymnasium, costing 3.8 billion yen with 96% funded by the government’s “carrot-for-the-plant” subsidy. The town hall includes the exhibition facility, “Learn all About Energy”. However, the exhibition has no visitors and its entrance door is locked all the time. The town now uses this facility like a storeroom, typical of many wasteful public works projects.

Between 2007 and 2009, Kishimoto Corporation was awarded contracts for 14 public works projects using 627 million yen of the government subsidy.

Genkai NPP-related work and NPP-funded public work projects are a lifeline for Kishimoto Corporation and its second largest shareholder is Genkai Town Mayor Kishimoto Hideo.

Japanese Communist Party member of the Genkai Town Assembly, Fujiura Akira said, “Mayor Kishimoto should end his cozy ties with Kyuden and move to decommission the Genkai NPP.”