Suttsu Town in Hokkaido, has applied to proceed through the general surveys to select a final nuclear waste disposal site.
Test operations have begun in Finland for a final nuclear waste disposal project. It is designed to bury high-level radioactive waste generated by nuclear power plants deep underground within bedrock. The disposal of HLW is a critical issue shared by all countries that use nuclear power.
Three towns and villages in Japan are in the first stage of the search for potential sites for underground disposal facilities. However, it is unclear whether they will be able to move on to the second stage.
For Japan to follow in the footsteps of Finland, which has committed to final disposal, it needs to move on from the first stage of "document review" to the next stage, namely, move to a "general review."
A document review began in June 2024 in Genkai Town, Saga Prefecture. Meanwhile, document reviews began in 2020 in the town of Suttsu and the village of Kamoenai in the Shiribeshi district of Hokkaido. Those have almost been finalized.
The focus is now on whether to move on to the next step, namely the general survey. The outcome will depend largely on the determination made by Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki, whose opinion will be sought in the future.
Hokkaido's Uninformed Ordinance
Proceeding with the general survey requires the consent of the town and village mayors and also the governor. However, Hokkaido has an ordinance that makes it difficult to accept the importation of HLW and other such materials. Governor Suzuki has indicated that this might form the basis for his rejection of the disposal plans.
The ordinance was promulgated in 2000. Irrespective of current science, it predisposes the Hokkaido decision-makers to reject a disposal site. Its justification: "Disposal methods for isolating HLW and other waste from the human environment for long periods have not been fully established, and it is necessary to continue testing and research into disposal methods."
However, a quarter century has passed since then. During that interval, research has progressed. Technology, too, has become more sophisticated. That is what led to the start of trial operations in Finland.
A Demonstration Project
A planned technical demonstration will involve burying a full-sized specialized container in a tunnel 430 meters underground. That would occur just before actual spent fuel is introduced.
Japan too has seen remarkable progress in basic research and technological development related to burying HLW deep underground in bedrock. NUMO, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan, is the implementing body for final geological disposal operations. In turn, it is authorized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
In light of this new reality, hasn't the core premise of Hokkaido's so-called "Hokkaido Nuclear Exclusion Ordinance" become invalid?
Moving Forward with Hokkaido's Governor
We would like to see Governor Suzuki clear the way for the undertaking of preliminary investigations. These should use cutting-edge technology to confirm the underground structures near the two Hokkaido communities in question.
As the process of identifying possible disposal sites progresses, municipalities on Honshu will likely begin to show interest in conducting their own document surveys.
The issue of HLW, also known as nuclear waste, will not be resolved by further delay. Governor Suzuki must make a bold decision to reduce the burden on future generations.
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(Read the editorial in Japanese.)
Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
