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Nihon Hidankyo urges TEPCO not to seek restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant

by Jumpei Fujimura, Staff Writer

On July 22, the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) and A-bomb survivors’ groups in 10 prefectures in eastern Japan submitted a written request to the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), urging the utility company not to seek a safety review, a necessary step to resume operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. This move was made to protest TEPCO’s decision to apply for the safety review.

The written request consists of four demands, including decommissioning all nuclear reactors owned by TEPCO and providing adequate compensation for victims of the nuclear accident at the Fukushima No. 1 (Daiichi) nuclear power plant. About 20 people, including Terumi Tanaka, secretary general of Nihon Hidankyo, visited a TEPCO location in Tokyo and handed the request to Mitsuo Aita, general manager of TEPCO’s nuclear information center in the corporate communications department.

One A-bomb survivor argued that nuclear power plants are nuclear facilities and their safety can never be absolutely guaranteed, no matter what safety measures are implemented. Another called on TEPCO to take the initiative in creating a society that would be free of nuclear power plants.

On July 2, TEPCO announced its intention to promptly seek a safety review with the goal of restarting the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. However, it has yet to do so, facing strong opposition from Niigata Prefecture, where the power station is located, and other entities.

(Originally published on July 23, 2013)

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