Science Council of Japan on nuke disposal

August 23, 2012

Scientists to call for review of nuclear disposal

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120823_27.html

Japan's national scientists' organization is to propose a radical review of the government's plan for disposing of highly radioactive nuclear waste. The group says an initial plan to bury the waste more than 300 meters underground for tens of thousands of years is wrong for the country.

The Science Council of Japan is to present its proposal next week to the government's Atomic Energy Commission, which decides the country's nuclear policy.

The commission has been asking for advice on reviewing the initial plan, as it became stalled due to opposition from candidate sites.

In a copy of a draft proposal obtained by NHK, the council says the plan has been deadlocked over fundamental issues, as the Fukushima nuclear accident has raised doubts about Japan's nuclear policy.

It says identifying a stable site in Japan to keep the waste for tens of thousands of years is quite difficult, as the country is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity.

The council says the government should first find temporary storage sites for decades to hundreds of years. It says the government could use the time to develop technology for final disposal, and to build a national consensus on the issue.

An NHK correspondent says the proposal could start public debate as it could be seen as prolonging the disposal problem.