Japan - City calls for keeping Hamaoka plant closed

SHIZUOKA — Legislators in a city less than 10 km from the Hamaoka nuclear power plant on Monday called for its permanent closure, citing widespread fears of a major earthquake in the area.

The resolution passed by the legislature of Makinohara, Shizuoka Prefecture, says the Hamaoka plant "should remain shut for good unless its safety is fully guaranteed," a position also backed by Mayor Shigeki Nishihara.

The resolution said it is urging permanent shutdown because the plant "sits on the presumed epicenter of the Tokai Earthquake," which the government has warned could strike in the near future in and around the prefecture, which is part of the Tokai region.

Referring to the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, the resolution said, "We have to prioritize the protection of local citizens' lives and assets, given that a serious accident occurred even though not a single error in the process of nuclear power generation is excusable."

Commenting on the resolution, the mayor said, "I take the decision of the assembly seriously and will act in accordance with the assembly's stance. The Hamaoka plant must be closed permanently to ensure local citizens' safety."

Following the March earthquake and tsunami that crippled the Fukushima plant, operations at the Hamaoka complex were brought to a complete halt in May at the request of then Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

Of the four municipalities within 10 km of the Hamaoka plant, Makinohara is the first to pass a resolution demanding its permanent shutdown. A similar resolution has been adopted by the assemblies of the other Shizuoka municipalities of Izu, Higashiizu and Matsuzaki.

Chubu Electric Power Co., the operator of the Hamaoka plant, wants to reopen the plant upon building an 18-meter coastal levee and taking other measures by December next year to counter quake-triggered tsunami, at a cost of some ¥100 billion.

But any such plan is unlikely to go forward without the consent of local citizens.

A senior official of the prefectural government's nuclear safety section struck a cautious note about resuming the Hamaoka plant after the resolution was adopted, saying the result seems to be "in line with public opinion."

An opinion poll conducted by the city of Makinohara in July and August showed about 60 percent of its citizens were against restarting the Hamaoka plant.

Kyodo

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