In February 2001, Governor Eisaku Sato of Fukushima Prefecture announced that he would not allow the use of MOX fuel in Fukushima Prefecture in spite of earlier promises to the national government and Tokyo Electric to allow the pluthermal program to proceed.
At the same time, Governor Sato announced his intention of setting up an Energy Policy Review Committee to examine the entire national energy policy from the perspective of an energy producing prefecture.
After listening to the views of twelve prefectural citizens on 31 May 2001, the committee proceeded to hear the views of eight lecturers.
On October 25, Professor Hitoshi Yoshioka, expert committee member of Japan’s Atomic Energy Commission, gave testimony to the review committee. Yoshioka presented a critical view of the Japanese government’s nuclear fuel cycle policy, pointing out it would be best to "withdraw from this policy as soon as possible." In particular, Yoshioka questioned the economics of MOX utilization, and suggested that the electric utilities should "make an orderly withdraw from the pluthermal program."
At a press conference held on 23 October 2001, Fukushima Governor Eisaku Sato pointed out that experts who have given presentations at the Energy Review Committee have continually pointed out the high cost of the nuclear fuel cycle, and stated in particular that professor Yoshioka’s arguments were "very persuasive." [Mainichi Newspaper, 24 October 2001]
At the most recent session, held on the 23 January 2002, during the question and answer period with lecturer Masao Nakamura, Governor Sato stated, "my conclusion is different from yours." Nakamura had given a lecture in support of the continued promotion of the nuclear fuel cycle for energy security reasons.
An article in the 24 January 2002 Mainichi Newspaper, addressing the reasons why Governor Sato supports a once-through cycle, quotes the governor as stating to Mr. Nakamura that, "(1) the nuclear fuel cycle will be too expensive under deregulation, (2) France has abandoned the nuclear fuel cycle, and (3) uranium fuel resources will not dry up for the next 70 years."
The prefecture’s original plan was to wrap up the review during fiscal 2001, but after the Hamaoka Unit 1 pipe rupture accident in Shizuoka Prefecture last November, Governor Sato announced that the committee would continue to meet into fiscal 2002. The purpose of the extension is to consider such topics as the safety of aging nuclear reactors and fiscal support for regions which supply nuclear power. [The Hamaoka reactor and Fukushima reactors are similar in design.]
After the September 1999 JCO criticality accident and the December 1999 BNFL data falsification scandal, Governor Sato stated that "public support for the pluthermal program has clearly retreated." He reiterated these feelings several times prior to establishing the energy review committee in February 2001. The strong anti-pluthermal victory in the Kariwa referendum in May 2001 clearly indicates that there is little public support for plutonium utilization policies even in areas which depend on nuclear power for livelihood.
Green ActionSuite 103, 22-75 Tanaka Sekiden-cho, Sakyo-ku Kyoto 606-8203 Japan
T + 81 75 701 7223
F + 81 75 702 1952
E-mail amsmith@gol.com