Dashing Out

Just two days after the third anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and its consequent accident in the First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, the regulation agency for nuclear generation announced prioritized examination on the safety of Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima. It is supposed that the two reactors in the plant will resume the operation as early as this summer. It will become the first nuclear power plant in Japan to restart since last September when all the reactors stopped. For the government, immediate economic benefit is more precious than exploring better solution for civilization.

There are seventeen reactors of ten power plants that are waiting for examination for resumption. The Nuclear Regulation Authority chose Sendai among them for proceeding to the next step. The reason why it picked was that estimation for natural disasters, such as earthquake or tsunami, was clearer than others for persuading its geographical suitability. After one month of concentrated examination on it and four months of public comment and town meeting, the examination is likely to be ending. Final green light will be the approval of Governor of Kagoshima.

Some newspapers got excited with the news. Nikkei raised a big headline on the front page, which read “Nuclear Zero Ends in Summer.” Indicating its hope for following restarts, the paper reported the likeliness of additional utility price hike in the area where resumption of nuclear power plant is in delay. It also predicted possible shortage of electricity in the summer. Threatening the weak people in society, olds and medical patients, is ordinary method of “nuclear village” in Japan.

An anti-nuclear newspaper, Tokyo Shimbun, indicated political pressure of leading Liberal Democratic Party on the authority. The party has been requiring the authority “effective and quick’ examinations, according to the paper. Some legislators in the party are even frustrated with the process of public comment for its time spending. The paper also criticized the decision as ignoring incompleteness in preparation for ventilating devices, emergency system and evacuation.

The biggest problem, however, is not about infrastructure, but about way of thinking. There still is no place for nuclear waste, which will be produced from resumed nuclear reactors in Sendai. There are growing experienced politicians, including the Chairman of the House of Representatives, Bunmei Ibuki, to change mind for nuclear zero. Although nuclear power generation is getting obsolete in terms of advanced civilization, people in nuclear village cannot abandon their desire for money and social status.