Takahama Town in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, Plans to Give Prior Consent to Kansai Electric Power's Construction of Spent Fuel Dry Storage Facility

On August 19, Hisakatsu Nishijima, mayor of Takahama Town in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, stated that he would give prior consent to Kansai Electric Power Co.'s plan to construct a spent fuel dry storage facility, in accordance with the safety agreement signed with the company. Following Mihama Town, Takahama Town became the second municipality in Fukui Prefecture hosting nuclear power plants to express its intention to give prior consent to the plan.

On the same day, Nishijima explained this decision to council members at a meeting of the town assembly held at the town office, noting that he had already obtained the assembly's understanding in advance. He said the town government made its judgment after confirming relevant issues item by item, including the specific arrangements for transporting spent fuel out of the prefecture and regional revitalization measures.

After the meeting, Nishijima told reporters that Takahama Town, as the host municipality, would inform the Fukui Prefectural Government of this significant decision and hoped the prefectural government would make an appropriate judgment.

It is reported that the Takahama Town Assembly had submitted a request to Nishijima in July, asking the town government to accept the dry storage facility construction plan. On the afternoon of August 20, the mayors of the three municipalities in Fukui Prefecture hosting nuclear power plants will hold talks with Vice Governor Morimasa Takebe in Tsuruga City to discuss matters related to the dry storage facility.