Hitachioomiya City Assembly in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, discusses literature survey request for nuclear waste disposal site

Hitachioomiya City in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, received a request from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) asking the city to accept a “literature survey” for the siting of a final disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste. On September 8, the Hitachioomiya City Assembly held a general question-and-answer session, during which multiple city assembly members expressed their views on whether to accept the survey.

Of the five assembly members who filed questions that day, two expressed opposition to accepting the request and one expressed support. The assembly plans to hold a closed-door meeting on September 9, at which each assembly member will state their position, and the relevant content will subsequently be conveyed to Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki for his consideration in formulating the city government's response.

Assembly member Toshiyuki Kurata stated that if the literature survey proceeds, it would affect the policies and projects currently being implemented by the city and could hinder regional development, and therefore he opposes accepting the survey. Assembly member Sadao Komuro pointed out that Ibaraki Prefecture's earthquake disaster assessment survey has indicated a risk of intensity-7 earthquakes in Hitachioomiya City, and he believes the area is unsuitable as a candidate site for the final disposal facility.

Assembly member Hiroya Mashiko expressed a supportive stance. He stated that the final disposal of high-level radioactive waste is an issue that must be addressed at the societal and national level, and that the nation also benefits from nuclear energy use, so the request should be viewed from a broader perspective. He also expressed hope that this matter would encourage more local governments to pay attention to the final disposal issue, expand the scope of discussion on literature surveys, and prompt citizens to regard it as an issue relevant to themselves.

According to the explanation from the assembly secretariat, the submission deadline for this round of general questions was August 25, and METI submitted the literature survey request to Hitachioomiya City on August 31, so the request was not included in the scope of formal questions. That day, the relevant assembly members stated their positions within their originally scheduled questions. Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki did not express any opinion at the meeting.