Niigata Gov. Meets with Local Leaders over Nuclear Plant Restart

Kashiwazaki, Niigata Pref., Nov. 12 (Jiji Press)–Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi met on Wednesday with the mayors of Kashiwazaki and Kariwa, which host Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant, as he plans to decide as early as this month whether to approve the restart of the plant. During the meeting, Kashiwazaki Mayor Masahiro Sakurai and Kariwa Mayor Hiroo Shinada expressed their willingness to accept the restart. Sakurai urged Hanazumi to make an early decision, and the governor responded that he “won’t take long.” A survey by the prefectural government has indicated that a majority in four of nine neighboring municipalities oppose the restart. At a press conference on the same day, Hanazumi announced his plan to visit TEPCO’s tsunami-crippled Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan, suggesting that he will soon make a decision on the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant’s restart. After meeting with the Kashiwazaki and Kariwa mayors, Hanazumi, along with TEPCO President Tomoaki Kobayakawa and others, attended a meeting of a local organization focused on transparent operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant. The governor exchanged views with local business group officials and opponents of nuclear plants. During the meeting of the local organization, a participant said that nuclear power plants must continue to play an important role in Japan’s long-term energy policy. Another participant expressed concern about possible radiation exposure in the event of an accident. “I will make a decision after understanding the will of the people of the prefecture,” Hanazumi said. “We take (the opinions expressed at the meeting) very seriously,” Kobayakawa said after the meeting. “We aim to restart (the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant) as soon as possible, but we believe that requires the understanding of local residents.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]