Municipalities decline nuclear power subsidies

Four Japanese municipalities have demonstrated their opposition to nuclear power by declining government subsidies for hosting nuclear plants.

The government this week began receiving yearly applications for subsidies from municipalities where nuclear-related facilities are located.

About 12 billion dollars have been allocated since the program started in 1974.

NHK has learnt that, in a rare move of opposition, 4 out of the 44 municipalities that host nuclear facilities around the country plan to skip the application this year.

One of them, Minamisoma City in Fukushima Prefecture, has demonstrated its anti-nuclear stance by refusing to accept subsidies for the planned Namie-Odaka power plant to be operated by the Tohoku Electric Power Company. In addition, Minamisoma City has decided to decline subsidies allocated for cities surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

City Mayor Katsunobu Sakurai said the city has made clear its rejection of nuclear power as part of its recovery plan.

Sakurai added the city will demand that the central government subsidize renewable energies.

Neighboring Namie Town has also declined subsidies related to the Namie-Odaka plant. The town said building new nuclear power facilities is not reasonable when Fukushima Prefecture and others are working to remove existing plants.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011 19:43 +0900 (JST)