Reasons against Atomic Energy

Unsatisfied with resumption of nuclear power plant in Sendai, Kagoshima, newspapers raised many reasons why nuclear power generation was incredible. Even how the government of Japan reiterates that new regulation policy is the world strictest standard, fundamental questions on nuclear power is still left behind. The attitude of the government is: “It’s necessary for us, you know. Risk? I don’t know about it.”

One of the most important facts is that the cause of severe accident in First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant four years ago has not been identified. With great earthquake and soaked in tsunami, First Fukushima Plant lost its electric source and the facilities exploded losing control. Vast number of people had to evacuate and lost their home, job or even life. The exact process of how the accident occurred has not been thoroughly explored.

After the accident, experts on nuclear power generation basically agreed on a concept that nuclear generation had to be able to deal with something unpredictable. Although new standard of Nuclear Regulation Authority became stricter, risk of severe accident has not removed. In other words, Nuclear accident can occur again, if nuclear power generation would be resumed.

More fundamentally, there is no place in Japan for nuclear waste to go so far. Each nuclear plant temporarily keeps its own nuclear wastes in pool. Seventy percent of capacity of those pools is already occupied. Pools in reprocessing facilities are mostly full. The government has not determined where high-level radioactive wastes produced those reprocessing facilities should be finally located. This is why nuclear power generation is called mansion without restroom.

It was possible that the government made a big mistake to resume nuclear power generation without national consensus. Knowing that new regulation policy is incomplete, evacuation plan is not realistic, and needed electricity has been provided without nuclear power generation, the government showed a green light to Kyushu Electric Power Company. Nuclear power has become obsolete in life of Japanese people.

Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, argued that the responsibility for resumption of nuclear reactors should be owed by power company. “Basic responsibility for safety falls on license achievers,” told Suga, raising basic principle of International Atomic Energy Agency. Power companies argue that they resume nuclear generation, because the government allows. Nobody cares responsibility of resuming nuclear power generation, addicted to the profit it brings.