Sendai plant & evacuation

 April 25, 2014

Residents near Sendai plant briefed on evacuation

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140425_15.html 

Residents near the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, are expressing concerns over evacuation procedures.

The prefectural government briefed around 130 residents on Thursday in Izumi City, which is located less than 30 kilometers from the plant. It was the first such meeting on the prefecture's evacuation program.

The central government is performing safety screenings at the plant operated by Kyushu Electric Power Company, which wants to restart two reactors at the facility.

Kagoshima government officials gave an overview of the evacuation program, including evacuation sites that would be used in the case of an emergency.

Residents then expressed anxieties over the plan. One resident said radiation levels at the evacuation sites might go up depending on the direction of the wind. Others said designated spots where residents without vehicles can board buses to evacuation sites are too far from their homes.

Izumi Mayor Toshihiko Shibuya said he will cooperate with other municipalities to ask the prefectural government to also explain its safety measures to Izumi residents.

Prefectural government officials plan to hold a similar session on the evacuation program in the prefectural capital city of Kagoshima. The city is also within the plant's 30-kilometer zone.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority is conducting the safety screening process at the Sendai plant as one step toward the resumption of its commercial operation.

The Sendai plant is one of the 10 nuclear plants currently being screened.

Apr. 25, 2014 - Updated 02:10 UTC