Japan Press Weekly

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2014 September 10 - 16 TOP3 [POLITICS]

NRA OKs restart of Sendai NPP in disregard of public concern

In defiance of strong public opposition, Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) finalized on September 10 its assessment report saying that safety measures at the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima Prefecture meet the state's guidelines.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide told reporters that with the release of the report, the government will take the necessary steps to restart the plant.

At present, all 48 nuclear reactors in Japan are offline. Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s administration has been aiming to reactivate the Sendai plant first.

The NRA published a draft assessment report in July and has solicited opinions from the general public for a month. Many of the opinions are opposed to the draft, pointing out that the municipalities surrounding the power station have yet to draw up evacuation plans for residents in the event of a nuclear accident and that the plant operator downplays the possibility of volcanic eruptions near the facility.

The watchdog agency paid no attention to these opinions and finalized the report after making slight modifications.

Meanwhile, local opposition to the restart plan is increasing. A recent opinion poll shows that 85% of the citizens of Satsumasendai City, which hosts the power complex, oppose the plan. In addition, more than half of the population (about 30,000) of the adjoining city of Ichikikushikino signed a petition opposing the resumption of operations.

On the same day, Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Kasai Akira published a comment demanding that the NRA retract the report immediately.

Past related article:
> 7,000 people hold rally to oppose restart of Sendai NPP [August 31, 2014]