Japan N-Waste Body Submits Survey Report to Possible Hosts

Sapporo, Nov. 22 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese nuclear waste management body submitted a report Friday on the results of surveys to select a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants to two possible host municipalities in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido.

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan, or NUMO, presented the report on its so-called literature survey, conducted to look into geological data and papers, to the town of Suttsu and the village of Kamoenai as well as the prefectural government.

The next second-stage survey, a preliminary survey that involves drilling work, requires the consent of the Hokkaido governor and the mayors of the two municipalities.

Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki said that he is opposed to moving onto the next survey at the moment, after receiving the report from NUMO President Akira Yamaguchi.

Noting that there has been no increase in the number of survey sites, Suzuki told Yamaguchi that he is worried that the issue of selecting a final disposal site will become a matter that affects only Hokkaido.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]