Japan Press Weekly

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2018 October 24 - 30 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Naka City mayor voices objection to restart of Tokai Daini NPP

The mayor of Naka City, one of the municipalities located close to a nuclear power plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, on October 22 expressed opposition to the resumption of operations of the Tokai Daini nuclear power plant.

Shortly before this announcement, Mayor Umino Toru met with leaders from the local organization of the Japanese Communist Party and said, "My role is to reflect the opinions of residents." In the meeting, Umino also said, "It is impossible for the city government to come up with a feasible evacuation plan." He was then asked to clearly state his intention to the residents.

Kashima Susumu, a JCP member of the Naka City Assembly, welcomed the mayor's announcement and said, "The mayor has found that an effective and reliable evacuation plan is impossible when a major nuclear accident can occur."

Umino is the first municipal head who has voiced objection to putting inactivate reactors back online among the six municipalities in the prefecture holding what is called a prior-approval right.

NPP-hosting municipalities with this right can hold preliminary consultations with NPP operators and can decide whether or not they give consent to the reactivation of offline reactors. Normally, only NPP-hosting prefectures and municipalities possess this right. In Ibaraki Prefecture, however, in addition to Tokai Village where the Tokai Daini NPP is located, neighboring cities of Hitachi, Hitachinaka, Naka, Hitachiota, and Mito have this right of prior approval.

Past related articles:
> Aging Tokai Daini nuclear power plant passes safety screening [September 27, 2018]
> NRA okays use of damaged and decrepit Tokai Daini NPP [July 5, 2018]
> Local residents want the decommission of aging reactors at Tokai Daini NPP [November 25, 2017]