Japan Press Weekly

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2013 September 18 - 24 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

Shii issues urgent proposal to tackle radioactive water issue

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo issued an urgent proposal to tackle the extremely serious situation in which radiation-contaminated water is increasing at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and cannot be brought under control.

Shii, at a press conference held in the Diet building on September 17, stressed the need as a pressing challenge to gather all the wisdom and expertise within government, political parties, scientists, academics, engineers, and industry, irrespective of differences in their stance towards nuclear power supply and future energy policy.

Stating that the plant operator TEPCO is no longer capable of being in charge, the JCP chair demanded that the government take on full responsibility to work for a swift end to the crisis as well as for decontamination and financial compensation following the liquidation of the operator.

Shii proposes that the government do at least the following:

- Set a policy of not polluting the sea with radiation as a basic principle;
- Thoroughly investigate the actual state of the contaminated water and disclose that information;
- Withdraw the “situation is under control” statement;
- Share a common understanding that the situation is in a state of emergency;
- Immediately stop moving ahead with the plan to reactivate offline reactors and export reactors to other countries;
- Concentrate all the available human and material resources on the effort to solve the contaminated water issue;
- Go through procedures to initiate and implement TEPCO bankruptcy;
- Drastically modify the structure prioritizing costs over safety.

Shii also said that the party will call on other political parties and people in various fields to cooperate to achieve the adoption of the policy proposal.