Japan Press Weekly

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2012 December 19 - 25 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

LDP in NPP-hosting Fukui Pref. lobbies for restart of N-reactors

Assemblypersons of the Liberal Democratic Party in Fukui Prefecture, where a number of nuclear power plants are located, on December 18 rammed a written opinion through the assembly, complaining about research on a possible active fault under the Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant.

The LDP victory in the national election apparently gave impetus to them to hastily submit the opinion to the assembly in order to facilitate the restart of currently suspended reactors.

The LDP group in the assembly criticized that only a small group of experts through their research has asserted the possibility of an active fault running right beneath the No.2 reactor at the Tsuruga plant without sufficiently discussing the research results with the operator, Japan Atomic Power Company.

The adopted opinion requests that opinions of the host prefecture be reflected in the nation’s nuclear administration.

JCP member of the assembly Sato Masao voted against the opinion, arguing that a scientific judgment as to whether or not it is an active fault is not something that will be swayed by the clearly biased opinions of the host prefecture.

The only opponents to the opinion adopted in the assembly were Sato and one independent assemblyperson. All the rest, including LDP, DPJ, and Komei members, voted for the opinion.