Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Pref. – The mayor of Hitachiomiya in Ibaraki Prefecture said Wednesday that the city would accept a literature survey for choosing a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants in the country. The final disposal of nuclear waste is “a pressing task for the country,” Suzuki said. The Ibaraki city is the first in the country’s Honshu main island to agree to the survey.
Up to ¥2 billion ($12.6 million) in state subsidies will be provided to each municipality that accepts a literature survey, the first stage of the three-tier process to choose a final disposal site. For Hitachiomiya, whose population is decreasing, “the major national project may become a solid foundation for the city’s existence,” Suzuki said. While the city has not held any briefing sessions for its residents, Suzuki vowed to provide in-depth explanations during the two-year period for the literature survey.
He indicated that the city should adopt some kind of process, such as a local referendum, if it hopes to move to the second-stage preliminary investigation after the literature survey. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, industry minister Ryosei Akazawa expressed his gratitude for Hitachiomiya’s decision. Kazuhiko Oigawa said in a statement released on the day that the prefectural government has “nothing in particular to say” about Hitachiomiya’s decision.
At the end of August, the industry ministry requested Hitachiomiya to accept the survey. On Tuesday, Suzuki held talks with Akazawa. After receiving an explanation about information sharing to prevent reputational damage, Suzuki said that concerns that he previously had were “almost resolved.” The literature survey involves analyses of volcanos and active faults based on geological maps and other materials.
Drilling work is conducted in the second-stage preliminary investigation, and an underground facility is constructed in the final-stage detailed investigation. The entire process is believed to take about 20 years.
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