Japan’s New Industry Minister Visits Fukushima N-Plant

Fukushima, Oct. 25 (Jiji Press)–Japanese industry minister Ryosei Akazawa on Saturday visited Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s disaster-crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant for the first time since he took office Tuesday. “Important progress is being made” in the work to remove melted fuel debris from a damaged reactor at the plant in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Akazawa said at a meeting with TEPCO officials. “We aim to work together with a high sense of mission to promote the long-running work to decommission (the crippled plant) and coexistence with local communities,” he also said. “We’ll work hard on both reconstruction and decommissioning, and do our best to fulfill our responsibility to Fukushima,” TEPCO Chairman Yoshimitsu Kobayashi said. The Fukushima No. 1 plant was severely damaged in the March 2011 powerful earthquake and tsunami. After the visit, Akazawa met with Fukushima Governor Masao Uchibori at the Fukushima prefectural government office. As “important missions,” Uchibori cited the reconstruction and revitalization of evacuation areas, the decommissioning of the plant and the release of treated water into the ocean from the plant. He requested Akazawa to continue doing everything possible over these challenges. “This is a long-running battle, so I will take the lead and tackle these missions with responsibility until the end,” Akazawa told reporters after the meeting. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]