information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
15 Mai 2012
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20120515p2g00m0dm124000c.html
FUKUI, Japan (Kyodo) -- Fukui Gov. Issei Nishikawa told visiting senior vice industry minister Seishu Makino on Tuesday that the central government should clearly outline the nation's nuclear policy as it seeks to restart two offline reactors in the prefecture.
"We want (the government) to clearly show its stance and system (toward the nation's nuclear policy) to citizens," Nishikawa said during a meeting with Makino at the prefectural government office in Fukui.
Makino responded by saying, "There is no change in our view that nuclear power is an important source of power." He promised to deal with Nishikawa's request with responsibility.
Makino was visiting Fukui in an effort to win local consent to reactivate the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi nuclear power plant in the Sea of Japan coastal town of Oi.
The government is trying to restart the two reactors to cope with an expected shortfall of electricity this summer as all of Japan's 50 commercial reactors are now suspended amid heightened public concern over nuclear safety in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
Since local leaders near the Oi plant, such as the governors of Shiga and Kyoto, remain cautious about firing up the reactors again, Nishikawa has been calling on the central government to convince them of the need to do so.
The Oi town assembly decided Monday to support the restart of the two offline reactors in view of the damage a prolonged halt would cause the local economy and employment.
Industry minister Yukio Edano said Tuesday at a press conference in Tokyo, "I think this is a sign that we are winning a certain degree of consent" for the reactors' restart.
On April 14, Edano asked the Fukui governor to support the restart. During the meeting with Makino on Tuesday, Nishikawa asked about the government's recent approach to winning consent from local governments reluctant to see the reactors restarted, as well as for an explanation of the nation's electricity supply and demand situation for this summer.
To cope with an expected shortfall of electricity, the government is considering asking electricity users in wide areas of the nation to voluntarily save the use of electricity this summer by setting numerical targets.
For Kansai Electric's service areas, where electricity supply and demand condition is expected to be especially severe, the government said Monday it would prepare for the possible issuance of an order for companies' reduced electricity consumption as well as for possible rolling blackouts.
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20120515p2g00m0dm123000c.html
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese industry minister Yukio Edano said Tuesday the decision by Fukui Prefecture's Oi town assembly to support the restart of two idled nuclear reactors shows the government is winning approval for their resumption.
Vowing to make further efforts to win public approval for restarting the two reactors, Edano dispatched senior vice industry minister Seishu Makino to the prefecture the same day to explain the government's approach to Gov. Issei Nishikawa.
The government is trying to restart the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi nuclear power plant to cope with an expected shortfall of electricity this summer as all of Japan's 50 commercial reactors are now suspended amid heightened public concern over nuclear safety in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
Since local leaders near the Oi plant, such as the Shiga and Kyoto governors, remain cautious about firing up the reactors again, Nishikawa has been calling on the central government to convince them of the need to do so.
The Oi town assembly decided Monday to support the restart of the two offline reactors on the Sea of Japan coast in view of the damage a prolonged halt would do to the local economy and employment.
Edano said Tuesday at a press conference in Tokyo, "I think this is a sign that we are winning a certain degree of consent" for the reactors' restart.
On April 14, Edano asked Nishikawa in Fukui to support the restart. During a meeting with Makino on Tuesday, Nishikawa is expected to ask about the government's recent approach to winning consent from local governments reluctant to see the reactors restarted, as well as for an explanation of the nation's overall nuclear policy.
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