Governor demands Fukushima closure

Fukushima governor demands TEPCO decommission all its 10 nuke reactors

Mainichi Daily,

29 December, 2011

FUKUSHIMA -- Gov. Yuhei Sato has demanded that Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the operator of the crippled nuclear plant, decommission all its 10 nuclear reactors in the prefecture.

Sato made the demand in a meeting with TEPCO President Toshio Nishizawa at prefectural government headquarters in the city of Fukushima on Dec. 27. Nishizawa stopped short of mentioning the possibility of decommissioning the reactors, and left the prefectural government without answering questions from reporters.

Nishizawa visited the Fukushima Prefectural Government's headquarters to report to the governor that the power supplier has completed Step 2 of the road map to bring the tsunami-hit Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant under control.

In the meeting, Sato strongly demanded that TEPCO decommission and dismantle all 10 reactors at the utility's Fukushima No. 1 and 2 nuclear plants.

"Fukushima Prefecture will build a society that won't rely on nuclear energy, and demands that all the reactors in the prefecture be decommissioned and dismantled," Sato told Nishizawa.

In response, the TEPCO head only said, "We'll sincerely take measures to ensure safety, pay compensation to those affected by the disaster and decontaminate tainted areas."