November 3, 2014
Kagoshima governor positive after METI briefing on reactor restart
Kyodo
KAGOSHIMA – Kagoshima Gov. Yuichiro Ito has accepted the explanation offered by Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoichi Miyazawa about the government’s plan to restart the Sendai nuclear plant.
Miyazawa “clearly explained the need for the restart,” Ito told reporters after the pair met Monday in the prefectural government building.
The governor will likely grant his approval for reactivating the plant if the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly, as expected, votes in favor of the move this Friday.
“We hope for your understanding,” Miyazawa told Ito during the meeting. The governor replied, “We will make a decision by comprehensively evaluating factors, after the prefectural assembly holds a vote on it shortly.”
The assembly will be voting on whether to support the central government’s plan to restart reactors 1 and 2 at the Kyushu Electric Power Co. plant in the city of Satsumasendai.
Earlier in the day, Miyazawa visited the Sendai plant, which is expected to be the first facility to be brought back online under safety regulations adopted after the March 2011 Fukushima No. 1 disaster.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority certified the Sendai nuclear plant as meeting the new safety regulations in September and the municipal assembly and mayor of Satsumasendai approved the restart last month.
The restart is expected to take place early next year.
