People protest against nukes

July 8, 2013

Civic groups protest against restarting nuclear reactors

Protesters chant slogans against restarts of nuclear reactors in front of a building that houses the Nuclear Regulation Authority in Tokyo's Minato Ward on July 8. (Mainichi)

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130708p2a00m0na011000c.html

About 80 members of civic groups chanted anti-nuclear slogans in front of a building housing the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) in Tokyo's Roppongi district on July 8, urging four electric power companies not to apply for permission to restart idled nuclear reactors.

"No to restarts," "Stop Oi (nuclear power plant)," the demonstrators chanted as new nuclear standards set by the NRA went into effect, leading Hokkaido, Kansai, Shikoku and Kyushu electric power companies to file applications to bring back online a total of 10 reactors at five nuclear power plants.

Kyoko Ono, 61, of an anti-nuclear group in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, shouted through a microphone that Shikoku Electric Power Co. should stop applying for permission to restart the No. 3 reactor of the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant because one of the world's largest active faults lies in front of the Ikata nuclear station. She also called on the utility firm to protect hometowns.

Makoto Yanagida, 73, co-leader of a group against restarting nuclear reactors, said in a speech that his Saikadososhinet group is protesting the new nuclear standards because the cause of the Fukushima nuclear disaster is still unknown.

The protesters delivered to a public relations official of the NRA a protest statement which said the new standards are intended to justify the restart of nuclear reactors rather than protect the safety of local residents around nuclear power plants.

Meanwhile, governors of prefectures where nuclear power plants are located commented on the new standards in Matsuyama, where they were attending a meeting of prefectural governors.

Fukui Gov. Kazumi (Issei) Nishikawa hailed the new standards, saying they contain what his prefecture had demanded. He urged the NRA to speedily discuss applications according to the new standards.

Protesters oppose nuclear reactor restarts

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130708_23.html

Protesters opposed to restarting Japan's nuclear reactors are gathered outside the office of the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

More than 60 members of the anti-nuclear group rallied in Tokyo after new regulations went into effect on Monday.

Utilities that meet the new requirements will be able to restart reactors that have been offline since the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima.

Demonstrators held up signs and chanted 'No' to restarting the reactors. They demanded a repeal of the new regulations.

Protesters came from the communities hosting the 4 utilities seeking approval to restart some reactors. They said the power companies have not put in place key safety measures. They said these include erecting storm-surge barriers and setting up emergency command centers at the plants.

Rally organizer Makoto Yanagida said the new rules are flawed because they were made before the cause of the Fukushima accident has been finally determined.

Jul. 8, 2013 - Updated 05:01 UTC