LDP panel makes proposals for cleanup and dismantling

October 30, 2013

LDP panel seeks gov't funding to scrap reactors

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20131030_29.html

Japan's governing Liberal Democratic Party has come up with a set of proposals to speed up the recovery from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.

An LDP panel tasked with speeding up reconstruction efforts after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami worked out the proposals.

The panel pledges maximum efforts by the central and local governments, Tokyo Electric Power Company and others to revive Fukushima Prefecture.

To this end, the panel proposes downsizing and integrating the government task force on nuclear disaster management to give more authority to teams in charge of reactor decommissioning and wastewater control.

The panel also calls for a quick decision on who would scrap the reactors, taking into consideration various possibilities such as spinning off TEPCO's decommissioning division as a subsidiary.

The panel urges the government to ensure safety when building and managing storage facilities for radioactive soil.

It also wants the government to commit to taking the initiative in scrapping the reactors and controlling contaminated wastewater.

The panel says the government will be able to provide funds for such decontamination, reactor decommissioning and wastewater control efforts when they are needed.

In addition, the panel calls for extending the statute of limitations on the Fukushima nuclear accident so that those affected will not lose their right to seek damages.

The LDP plans to submit the proposals to the government shortly, after consulting with its coalition partner New Komeito.