Japan Press Weekly

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2015 November 11 - 17 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Structure of collusion leads to restarting Ikata nuclear power plant

In defiance of the strong local opposition, the governor of Ehime Prefecture and the mayor of Ikata Town agreed in October to a plan to restart the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant. In this background lies a long and close relationship between the local governments and the plant operator.

In April 1983, the prefectural and town governments and Shikoku Electric Power Company (Yonden), the operator of the Ikata NPP, made a joint investment to establish a foundation for publicizing nuclear power generation. The website of the PR foundation proclaims that it aims to increase public awareness of nuclear power as well as the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

The PR organization is represented by the mayor of Ikata Town. Its governing board is comprised of seven directors, two from the prefectural and town governments respectively and three from Yonden, including the chief of the Ikata plant.

According to the foundation’s budget for fiscal 2015, the two local governments share 60% of its operating cost totaling 48 million yen and the rest is donated by the utility.

Some examples of the foundation’s activities in fiscal 2014 are as follows: giving lectures on radioactivity at local elementary and junior high schools; creating materials to publicize nuclear power for schoolchildren; organizing tours of the Ikata plant; holding contests for sketching the nuclear facility; publishing 5,500 calendars advertising the power station; and producing 900 original face towels for participants in a local half marathon.

These facts indicate that the local authorities, in collusion with the power company, have been spending a lot of taxpayer money with the aim of having local people accept atomic power generation.

Past related article:
> 4,000 people hold rally to protest against restart of Ikata nuclear power plant [November 2, 2015]