Kaminoseki Fits for Storage of Nuclear Waste

Chugoku Electric Power Company announced that it would be possible to build an intermediate storage facility for nuclear waste in Kaminoseki town, Yamaguchi, based on its geological research. If the local government accepts the plan to build it, the facility would be the second one for used nuclear fuels that have been stocked in nuclear power plants in Japan. Although there are many faults underground of designated land for facility, the company determined that they were not active. 

Japan has no facility for final disposal of used nuclear fuel produced in nuclear power plants. As no city in Japan has agreed to accept that, those nuclear power plants keep the used fuel by themselves. Some plants are reaching their limit. Power companies have built nuclear power plants without any plan for disposal of nuclear waste and the government of Japan allowed it. The waste has high radiation, harmful for human.

 

After long argument, Mutsu city, Aomori, started storing nuclear waste in an intermediate facility in 2024 for the first time in Japan. Although the government of Japan promoted nuclear recycle plan, it has not achieved viability with consecutive failures in safety measures. As its result, the government changed its plan to build intermediate storage facilities until final disposal facility will be built.

 

While Mitsu deals with nuclear waste mainly produced in eastern Japan, including Tokyo, Kaminoseki is supposed to accept the waste from western Japan. Kansai Electric Power Company, which covers urban area around Osaka is supposed to join the operation of the intermediate facility in Kaminoseki. Capacity in three nuclear power plants of Kansai company is reaching a limit.

 

The report of geological research found three faults underground of Kaminoseki site and thirty-five faults under the seabed close to the site. Underground fault can cause an earthquake which damages nuclear facility, but Chugoku Power Company assessed that all of those were inactive. “There is no problem for building (intermediate disposal facility),” says the report.

 

If local government rejects the facility, it cannot be built. Town of Kaminoseki is considering whether to accept it. Having anxiety about decrease of population, the town has been requesting plan for revitalizing local community. The government of Kaminosaki is going to answer to the offer of Chubu Power Company with detailed consideration about the report.

 

It is a typical project to build an unwelcomed facility in the region where has problem of demographic problem. Suttu and Kamoenai located in rural area in Hokkaido accepted geological research for final disposal facility for nuclear waste, trying to deal with financial difficulty with shortage of tax income from residents. Some concerns that safety measures may be left behind of demographic problem and necessity for nuclear power generation.

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