Japan to Be More Proactive in Selecting N-Waste Disposal Site

Tokyo, Feb. 2 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government plans to revise its basic policy on the handling of highly radioactive waste from nuclear power plants to play a more proactive role in choosing sites for its final disposal.

The basic policy, which stipulates the method of selecting where to build a final disposal site and the responsibilities of the government and power suppliers, will be revised for the first time since 2015.

As the first step of the selection, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan, or NUMO, conducts a so-called literature survey to check geological risks in a certain area, such as the existence of active faults.

So far, only two municipalities--the town of Suttsu and the village of Kamoenai, both in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido--have accepted a literature survey.

A draft of the revised basic policy says that the government will seek understanding and cooperation on conducting a literature survey from local governments and related organizations in stages.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]