In response to the Hokkaido town of Suttsu's intention to apply for an initial survey to host a nuclear waste disposal site, Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki said he would demand the town give a full account of its decision to surrounding municipalities, among other parties.
Suttsu expressed Thursday its intention to submit an application for the first-stage document study, which assesses data and various materials, as a step toward being selected as a final disposal site for high-level radioactive wasted produced by nuclear power plants.
Suzuki plans to disagree with the issue when the survey moves to the next step of a rough outline survey, he told reporters in Tokyo on Thursday.
"Local bodies surrounding the town are very interested in the [development of Suttsu's decision]," Suzuki said. "I'd like to request a full explanation from the town."
The Hokkaido prefectural government said it will continue to require the town to comply with a prefectural ordinance that opposes the acceptance of nuclear waste.
There is no legal system for a governor's opinion to be taken into account during the document study period, and thus, there is no denying the impression that Suzuki is in a stalemate for the time being.
On the issue of the village of Kamoenai, also in Hokkaido, which is expected to express its intention to apply for the survey, Suzuki said, "Though [the village assembly members] agreed to petition for the survey, the chief of the village has not indicated his decision."
When Suzuki met with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the Prime Minister's Office earlier Thursday, Suga made an inaugural address that did not refer to the issue of selecting a final disposal site, he said.
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