Japan Press Weekly

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2012 May 23 - 29 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

2,000 rally calling for decommissioning of all reactors in Kyushu

More than 2,000 people in Kyushu on May 27 took part in a rally in Saga City (Saga Pref.), calling for the decommissioning of all 6 reactors in the Kyushu region, including those at the Genkai nuclear power plant (Saga Pref.).

The six reactors have been under suspension since December last year.

On behalf of the organizers, Aoyagi Yukinobu who has been engaging in a sit-in in front of the head office of Kyushu Electric Power Co. in Fukuoka City (Fukuoka Pref.) said, “Let’s work together to stop the government from resuming operations of the reactors and choose the way for a nuclear-free Japan!”

The rally host read out messages received from the mayors of Saga’s Ogi City and Ureshino City, along with that from the mayor of Fukuoka’s Fukuchi Town. Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Akamine Seiken also sent an encouraging message to the rally.

A 30-year-old mother with her 4 year child said, “Thinking of the future of my child, I no longer want nuclear power plants.”

Within 30 kilometers from the Genkai plant live 260,000 people, and within a 50 kilometer radius from the plant, the population totals about 1,400,000. The locations of off-site emergency response centers are only 12 kilometers away from the plant although they have to function as emergency facilities in case of a nuclear accident. It is highly likely that they would be useless if a Fukushima-class nuclear crisis occurs.

If the functions of these off-site centers fail due to an unexpected magnitude of catastrophe, prefectural government offices in northern Kyushu region would supposedly take over the position. However, the government offices of both Fukuoka and Saga prefectures are located within the 50 kilometer radius. Local people are fearful of what could happen if a major disaster occurs.