Japan Press Weekly

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2014 August 27 - September 2 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

2,000 people rally to oppose construction of final disposal facility for nuclear waste

In protest against the state plan to construct a facility for the final disposal of nuclear waste from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, a rally took place on August 31 in Tochigi’s Shioya Town with 2,000 residents, one-sixth of the town’s population, participating.

The rally was called for by a residents’ group which was inaugurated one month ago when the central government gave the town a notice indicating that it had selected state-owned land in the town as a final destination for the Fukushima NPP’s nuclear waste.

Shioya Town, situated at the base of Takahara Mountain, is famous for its pure spring water. Following the notice, many townspeople are expressing their concern that the construction of the final disposal facility could cause the contamination of spring water source as the proposed construction site is located near a major spring water source in the mountain.

At the rally, incumbent Town Mayor Mikata Kazuhisa and three former mayors independently expressed their determination to protect the town’s rich natural resources, a life-giving gift from Mt. Takahara, by saying that they will urge the state to reconsider its decision.

Japanese Communist Party member of the Shioya Town Assembly Hashimoto Iwao, who also serves as the vice chair of the assembly, in his speech expressed his determination to work hard to achieve the withdrawal of the selection.