Many Locals Oppose Kashiwazaki-Kariwa N-Plant Restart

Niigata, Nov. 7 (Jiji Press)–A majority of people living in four cities near Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in central Japan are opposed to the planned restart of the facility, according to a survey by the Niigata prefectural government. The survey, released Thursday, covered residents of nine municipalities within 30 kilometers of the plant in Niigata Prefecture. Asked whether the plant should remain shut no matter what safety measures are taken, the share of respondents who said they think so or rather so stood at 53 pct in both the city of Nagaoka and the neighboring city of Ojiya. The proportion of respondents in favor of the planned restart stood at 45 pct in Nagaoka and 46 pct in Ojiya. The share of those opposed to the restart also exceeded that of supporters in the cities of Tokamachi and Tsubame. Meanwhile, the share of opponents came to 40 pct and 33 pct in the city of Kashiwazaki and the village of Kariwa, respectively, where the plant is located. Asked whether they believe the conditions for restarting the plant have been met, a majority of respondents said so only in the village of Kariwa. The prefectural government has been conducting a supplementary survey based on the population of each municipality within a 30-kilometer radius of the plant since Oct. 24 and is expected to announce the results in mid-November. Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi plans to inspect the plant and hold talks with the heads of municipalities within 30 kilometers of the facility on Nov. 14. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]