Japanese town approves plan on construction of nuclear-storage facility
Kyodo News International, Tokyo -- July 14
The town of Mihama, Fukui Prefecture, approved a plan Wednesday to invite Kansai Electric Power Co. to build an interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, though the prefectural government and the firm are opposed to the idea.
Mihama Mayor Jitaro Yamaguchi has said his town is willing to host the
facility and will hold talks with KEPCO over its construction after obtaining
the town assembly's approval.
But Fukui Gov. Issei Nishikawa has insisted the facility should be built
outside the prefecture. KEPCO also plans to build the facility outside Fukui.
Electric power companies are stepping up efforts to construct interim nuclear
storage facilities, which receive spent nuclear fuel from nuclear plants,
because temporary spent fuel storage pools at their plants are filling up.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. has asked Aomori Prefecture for permission to set up
a facility in the city of Mutsu by 2010.
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