Hitachi-Omiya City Council debates nuclear waste disposal site survey

The Hitachi-Omiya City Council held a closed-door meeting to discuss a request from the national government to conduct a literature survey for a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste, commonly known as “nuclear waste.” The council members expressed divided opinions, with roughly half in favor and half opposed. Council Speaker Nobuo Akiyama stated that the final decision should be left to the mayor after considering the voices of the council members.

Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki has expressed a willingness to “positively consider” the survey and is expected to reach a conclusion during the upcoming regular assembly session. Municipalities that accept such surveys can receive grants of up to 2 billion yen.

In a related development, Tochigi Governor Tomikazu Fukuda noted that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry had briefed Tochigi Prefecture regarding the request made to Hitachi-Omiya. However, Governor Fukuda stated he was not personally informed of the briefing until a recent press conference, highlighting a need for discussion on how information should be shared between government entities.