Japan's Shiga inks safety agreement with nuclear power plants

Source:Xinhua Published: 2013-4-5 17:13:55

The Japanese prefecture of Shiga on Friday concluded a "nuclear" safety agreement with three major power companies, including Kansai Electric Power Co., amid controversy over the safety of nuclear power in Japan.

The agreement, primarily targeting five nuclear stations in the neighboring Fukui Prefecture, was the first of its kind outside Fukui Prefecture in western Japan, where the nuclear plants had originally been built, according to the local daily Mainichi Shimbun.

The newspaper said the agreement consists of 13 clauses, including authorizing inspectors from the prefectural government to visit nuclear power station when necessary and requiring operators to inform the prefecture in advance of their transportation plan for used nuclear fuels, as well as nuclear waste.

The agreement also entitles the prefecture to compensation for possible damages caused by nuclear accident at the plants, the report added.

According to Shiga Prefecture, nearly 20,000 people are living within the 30-km radius covered by the agreement.

The prefecture is home to Japan's biggest freshwater lake, Lake Biwa, a reservoir that provides drinking water for 14.5 million people living in the country's second biggest urban area, Kansai.

Posted in: Asia-Pacific

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