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information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise

Division of roles unclear

 

 

November 2, 2012

NRA official calls for legislation on nuclear plant safety agreements

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20121102p2a00m0na014000c.html 

 

Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) Commissioner Kenzo Oshima has pointed to the need to consider legislation on nuclear power plant safety agreements that power companies and local municipalities hosting such facilities sign on a voluntary basis.


"The division of roles between the national government, prefectural governments and municipalities in nuclear power policy isn't provided for by any Japanese law and is unclear," Oshima, former ambassador to the United Nations, pointed out in an exclusive interview with the Mainichi Shimbun.

He then cited an example in France, where local bodies hosting nuclear plants are involved in atomic power policy under a 2006 law, and said, "The example is worth considering even though it remains to be seen whether a similar system will take root in Japan."


Oshima then pointed out possible harmful effects of nuclear plant safety accords. "In Japan, publicly elected governors and mayors have a big say in nuclear policy. Therefore, requirements for local communities' consent on operations at nuclear plants they host could undermine the national government's energy policy."


Nuclear plant safety agreements, which provide for rules on local communities' consent on operations at nuclear power stations they host, are gentlemen's agreements without legal basis.


A growing number of municipalities are expected to demand that they sign such accords with utilities since a zone where preparations for nuclear disasters are required will be expanded from 8-10 kilometers from such power stations to 30 kilometers under new guidelines for nuclear disaster countermeasures. Such moves could be a hurdle for the reactivation of idled nuclear reactors.

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