A town and village on
If either of the two municipalities undertakes the research -- the first of a three-stage process to select a disposal site -- it will be the first time local authorities have taken such action.
Like many other countries,
High-level radioactive waste, produced as a result of the process of extracting uranium and plutonium from spent fuel, must be stored in concrete structures at least 300 meters underground for permanent disposal as not to impact human lives or the environment.
Municipalities that accept the research can receive up to
Kamoenai and Suttsu, approximately 40-kilometers apart, have been under financial stress due to the declining fishing industry and population.
In apparent protest to the municipalities' move, a small fire broke out at Kataoka's home in the early hours of Thursday.
Police suspect the fire, which caused no injuries, was likely arson. Kataoka told the police that a Molotov cocktail was thrown into his house.
The central government released a map in 2017, which indicates the suitability of potential disposal sites across the country in different colors. Locations such as near volcanoes and active faults are deemed unfavorable.
According to the map, a wide area of Suttsu is evaluated as favorable, while only a small portion in Kamoenai is designated as suitable.
During explanatory meetings for local residents joined by officials of the
Meantime, many residents of Kamoenai, relatively closer to
Other than the two northern
Kataoka said in August, the town would consider applying for the suitability assessment for a disposal facility candidate site.
The Kamoenai chamber of commerce submitted a request to the village assembly in September for deliberations on whether or not to apply for the preliminary research.
==Kyodo
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