THE ASAHI SHIMBUN, October 13, 2023 https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15028320 FUKUI Fukui Governor Tatsuji Sugimoto on Oct. 13 approved Kansai Electric Power Co.’s revised plan on storing spent nuclear fuel, drawing outrage from prefectural assembly members. The governor’s approval means that three aging reactors operated by the utility in the prefecture can continue to run. The continued operation of…
FUKUI Fukui Governor Tatsuji Sugimoto on Oct. 13 approved Kansai Electric Power Co.’s revised plan on storing spent nuclear fuel, drawing outrage from prefectural assembly members.
Kansai Electric Power Co. has angered Fukui prefectural assembly members for claiming to have kept its oft-broken promise to remove spent nuclear fuel accumulating at its nuclear power plants in the prefecture.
Japan is taking steps to better guard its 17 nuclear plants amid global alarm over Russia ’s attacks on Ukraine ’s nuclear facilities, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida considering the formation of a new police protection unit. Their primary task will be to safeguard the 59 reactors at the plants around Japan. “Public interest in the safety of nuclear plants.
The No. 1 and No. 2 reactors, seen in the background, at Kansai Electric Power Co.’s Takahama nuclear plant in Takahama, Fukui Prefecture, in November 2020 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
When push came to shove, Fukui Governor Tatsuji Sugimoto went silent on his demand that resuming operations at three aging nuclear reactors in Fukui hinged on storing spent nuclear fuel outside his prefecture.
Sugimoto announced at a news conference on April 28 that he was approving the resumption of operations at the Takahama and Mihama nuclear power plants, but made no mention of setting up an interim storage facility or spent nuclear fuel until reporters asked him about it.