Survey on Resumption of Nuclear Reactors

Niigata Prefectural Government made a survey to the people in Niigata on resumption of nuclear reactors in Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in the prefecture. Although the result was evenly divided, it was notable that the people in two cities mostly approved restarting the reactors. The governor of Niigata, who has an authority to turn on a green light to the resumption, is expected to make a decision by the end of November. 

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant (TEPCO) is one of the biggest nuclear power plants in the world with seven reactors, which have 8.2 million kilowatts. The reactors halted its operation after a severe accident occurred at First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in 2011. Although the reason why Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant cannot resume its operation is attributed to its insufficiency of security measures, including anti-terrorism, skepticisms on its owner, Tokyo Electric Power Company, that owns crippled Fukushima plant, is another main reason against the operation.

 

The survey was commissioned to Nomura Research Institute by Niigata government. It was made to 6 thousand people all around Niigata prefecture. And another survey was made to other 6 thousand people in nine cities, including cities of Kashiwazaki and Kariwa where the plant is, where the people need to evacuate if an accident happens. Over fifty percent of recipients answered the questions in those two surveys.

 

Among the people all around Niigata, 36 percent answered that the measures against disaster was sufficient in Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, as 34 percent thought it insufficient. On resumption of reactors #6 and #7 that TEPCO considers, top three most important points for the respondents were “sufficient safety measures with lessons from the disaster in Fukushima,” “concern on operation by TEPCO,” and “preparation of evacuation routes.”

 

However, survey in nine cities for evacuation showed a different trend. The people who thought the safety measures were insufficient occupied 38 percent, surpassing who thought sufficient with percentage of 36. Remarkably enough, the respondent who supposed the measures were sufficient in the cities of Kashiwazaki and Kariwa marked over 40 percent.

 

It is likely that concern on accident is strong in the cities close to the site of nuclear power plant, compared to other cities in Niigata prefecture. However, the fact that more people in two cities where the plant located thought the safety measures were sufficient indicates expectation of them about further economic development brought by subsidies for nuclear power plant from the national government.

 

It is focused how the governor of Niigata, Hideyo Hanazumi, will decide on resumption of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant. The national government and TEPCO hopes him to approve it for stable power supply to promote economic activities in Japan and to improve financial balance of a power generation company. The poll, nevertheless, shows that a large number of residents around the plant still have fundamental concern on nuclear power generation.

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