PRESS CONFERENCE
Susumu Kitano, Chief plaintiff / Shiga Nuclear Power Plant Must be Decommissioned! Lawsuit & Former member of the Ishikawa Prefectural Assembly Kitano’s PPT Shoko Murakami, Chief Secretary for the Citizens’ Commission on Nuclear Energy Murakami’s PPT
Aileen Mioko Smith, Executive Director, Green Action Smith’s PPT
Details
14:00-15:00 Monday, February 19, 2024
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in English or Japanese with English interpretation.
On Shaky Ground: Japan’s Nuclear Power Policy and the Noto Peninsula
The Noto Peninsula earthquake was a reminder that, like the Pacific side of the country, the Japan Sea coast is vulnerable to natural disasters. The quake revealed a weak transportation infrastructure in the area that hindered a rapid response. But the presence of the Shiga nuclear power plant in Ishikawa prefecture raised concerns about whether the Japanese government has adequate plans to respond to an earthquake and nuclear accident in the region. Especially realistic plans for evacuation in the event of a radiation leak.
To highlight these concerns, three activists will speak at FCCJ on Ishikawa and the government’s nuclear power policy. Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture-based Susumu Kitano will discuss the quake’s implications for Shiga and the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plants in Niigata. Shoko Murakami will touch on structural flaws in the government’s seismic regulations and nuclear emergency response policies. Aileen Mioko Smith will highlight other reactors on the Japan Sea Coast, including those in Fukui prefecture which are about 100 kilometers from central Kyoto, and how the Noto quake raises similar questions about adequate response and evacuation procedures at these plants.
