A cross-party group of lawmakers called for the immediate decommissioning of nearly half of Japan’s nuclear reactors on June 28.
A cross-party group of lawmakers called for the immediate decommissioning of nearly half of Japan’s nuclear reactors on June 28.Genpatsu Zero no Kai (Group for zero nuclear power), made up of nine politicians from seven political parties, said 24 of Japan’s reactors were so dangerous that they should immediately be retired.The blacklisted reactors include the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, operated by Japan Atomic Power Co., which are suspected to have an active fault running directly beneath them.The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, which Tokyo Electric Power Co. is pushing to restart, and Chubu Electric Power Co.’s Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, which is thought to be at risk from the expected Tokai earthquake, are also labeled too dangerous for continued use.Many of the 24 reactors are located in Fukushima Prefecture, which was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake in March last year, and Niigata Prefecture, which was hit by the Niigata Chuetsu-oki Earthquake in 2007.The group, which ranked the risks posed by all of Japan’s 50 reactors, said the remaining 26 reactors should also be taken offline in future years, with the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors of Kansai Electric Power Co.’s Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture top of the list.Genpatsu Zero no Kai considered the age, type and quake proofing of reactors, as well as ground conditions, past accident records and the size of the population near reactors.“(This ranking) is not perfect, but I hope it will trigger a deeper national debate,” Koichi Yamauchi, a Lower House lawmaker belonging to Your Party, said at a meeting of the group. “We will make a more thorough ranking by adding points, such as measures against tsunami.”The group includes prominent figures such as Shoichi Kondo of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, Taro Kono of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, and Tomoko Abe of the Social Democratic Party.