Will Japan’s Nuclear Regulator Approve Plans to Restart Reactors Near Super Volcanoes?

“Has fast breeder Monju been good for Japan’s energy?” Fast breeder’s electricity is expensive. Download PDF version (266 KB)

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…

Japanese court rejects plaintiff demand to shut down Ohi Units 3 and 4 Plaintiffs will immediately appeal ruling Court recognizes interaction of 3 earthquake faults near Ohi but declares Ohi prima facie safe (safe for now unless proven otherwise) Court states there is no legal time limit for shutting down reactors in the event of an accident/earthquake Press Release For Immediate Release (Kyoto, Japan): 16 April 2013 Contact: Aileen Mioko Smith +81-90-3620-9251 (co-lead plaintiff) For Japanese statement issued by plaintiffs’ group see: http://greenaction-japan.org/internal/130416_statement.pdf The judgment in the legal case against the only two nuclear power plants currently operating in Japan, Ohi Nuclear Power Station Units 3 and 4, owned and…

–Background Briefing– Why the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant Should Not be Operated [Revised] 11 August 2015 (1:00pm) For immediate release from Sendai nuclear power plant gate, Kagoshima Prefecture. Aileen Mioko Smith Executive Director, Green Action (Japan) Contact: amsmith@gol.com / +81-90-3620-9251 Lack of Consideration of Potential Earthquakes Damage—In Violation of NRA Regulations Seismologist and emeritus professor of Kobe University, Member of the Diet NAIIC (National Diet of Japan Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission), has stated that the Nuclear Regulation Authority’s Review of the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant is “careless and faulty and will invite a second Genpatsu-Shinsai (Earthquake-Nuclear Combined Disaster)”. Ishibashi points out that the NRA’s Review violates the legal…

November 15, 2002 Dr. Richard MeserveChairman, Nuclear Regulatory CommissionWashington, D.C. 20555-0001Facsimile: 1-301-415-1757 Dear Chairman Richard Meserve: Re: Opposition to Issuance of Export License for Depleted Uranium to Japan’s Rokkasho Reprocessing Facility Green Action is a Japanese NGO based in Kyoto, Japan working mainly on Japanese plutonium fuel cycle issues. Green Action recently obtained a copy of an application to export approximately 26 tons of depleted uranium from the United States to Japan for use as test material in the test operation of Japan’s Rokkasho nuclear fuel reprocessing facility. [License Number XSOU8790, Date of Application 10/17/2002] Green Action notes that Japan has already stockpiled more than 32 tons of plutonium in…