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Keyword：high-level radioactive waste disposal
Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan to Reconsider Literature Survey for Final Disposal Site of High-Level Radioactive Waste
The Hitachiota City Council in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, held a closed-door meeting on September 9 to hear council members' opinions on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's request for the city to conduct a literature survey for selecting a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste. After the meeting, sources said that two council members expressed support and two expressed opposition, and the city council failed to reach a consensus, deciding to hold another meeting on September 16 for discussion. The closed-door meeting was initiated by Hitachiota Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki, with the aim of providing reference for the city government to judge whether to accept the literature survey. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry made the request to the city on August 31. Suzuki previously said he would "actively consider" conducting the literature survey and hoped...
2026-09-10
Hitachiomiya City Assembly in Japan Hears Briefing on Literature Survey for High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site
On September 4, the Hitachiomiya City Assembly in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, held a closed-door briefing session regarding the central government's request for the city to initiate a literature survey for the final disposal site selection of high-level radioactive waste. Representatives from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan (NUMO) attended the meeting to explain the national energy policy, an overview of the geological disposal project, and the background behind the survey request. All 16 members of the Hitachiomiya City Assembly participated in the briefing, with Mayor Suzuki Sadayuki attending as an observer. The meeting was originally scheduled for approximately two hours but actually lasted about three and a half hours due to the large number of questions from assembly members. After the meeting, Yokote Hiroki, Director of the Radioactive Waste Policy Division at METI's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, stated that assembly members raised questions covering multiple aspects, including technical details of geological disposal and the site selection procedure for disposal facilities, and that the government side would continue its outreach efforts. Should the City Assembly make a request, METI would provide further explanations.
2026-09-06
Japan Requests Hitachiomiya City in Ibaraki Prefecture to Conduct Literature Survey for High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on August 31 requested Hitachiomiya City in Ibaraki Prefecture to conduct a literature survey, as the first step in siting a final disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste generated from nuclear power plant operations. If Hitachiomiya City agrees, it will become the fifth municipality in Japan to accept such a literature survey, and the second time the Japanese government has proactively requested a survey from a local government, following Minamitorishima in Ogasawara Village, Tokyo. On the same day, Takashi Kume, Vice Commissioner of Japan's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, visited the Hitachiomiya City government and submitted the survey request to Mayor Sadanori Suzuki. Suzuki stated that he personally takes a positive stance toward accepting the literature survey, and noted that the city faces issues such as rapid population decline and a weak local economy, adding that if the area has favorable geological conditions, participating in the national geological disposal policy would be of "significant importance." He said he would make a decision after hearing the views of the city assembly, with the matter possibly being discussed at the regular assembly meeting as early as September.
2026-09-01