July 21, 2011
The main purpose in holding a televised briefing on Kyushu Electric Power Co.’s Genkai nuclear power plant was changed to getting local residents to approve the resumption of its off-line nuclear reactors from the initial stated purpose of giving them explanations about safety measures at the plant.
Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Yoshii Hidekatsu revealed this on July 20 in a meeting of the House special committee on post-disaster recovery.
The briefing was held by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and aired on June 29 by a local cable TV station in Saga Prefecture hosting the Genkai NPP.
Yoshii said that in a written response to Yoshii’s inquiry, the ministry explained that the briefing was scheduled at the request of the Saga prefectural government for the purpose of providing to the residents information about emergency safety features at the Genkai plant.
However, on June 16 just before the briefing, the Japan Productivity Center (JPC), which received a contract for the briefing from the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE), proposed that the briefing be aired on cable broadcast stations so that it could be an effective way to explain about NPP’s safety and necessity to the residents.
The ANRE, one of METI’s divisions, on June 23 approved the JPC’s proposal and doubled the payment of the contracted amount from 6.97 million yen to 12.76 million.
The JPC is a business think tank calling for the promotion of nuclear energy and its executive positions are filled with executives of power companies and NPP-related manufacturers including Tokyo Electric Power Co’s president Katsumata Tsunehisa.
Yoshii pointed out that the JPC is a member of a “community of interest” benefitting from nuclear power promotion.
“The ANRE and the JPC drew up a plan to restart nuclear reactors at the Genkai NPP. It is clear that the briefing was a part of this plan”, said Yoshii.
Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Yoshii Hidekatsu revealed this on July 20 in a meeting of the House special committee on post-disaster recovery.
The briefing was held by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and aired on June 29 by a local cable TV station in Saga Prefecture hosting the Genkai NPP.
Yoshii said that in a written response to Yoshii’s inquiry, the ministry explained that the briefing was scheduled at the request of the Saga prefectural government for the purpose of providing to the residents information about emergency safety features at the Genkai plant.
However, on June 16 just before the briefing, the Japan Productivity Center (JPC), which received a contract for the briefing from the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE), proposed that the briefing be aired on cable broadcast stations so that it could be an effective way to explain about NPP’s safety and necessity to the residents.
The ANRE, one of METI’s divisions, on June 23 approved the JPC’s proposal and doubled the payment of the contracted amount from 6.97 million yen to 12.76 million.
The JPC is a business think tank calling for the promotion of nuclear energy and its executive positions are filled with executives of power companies and NPP-related manufacturers including Tokyo Electric Power Co’s president Katsumata Tsunehisa.
Yoshii pointed out that the JPC is a member of a “community of interest” benefitting from nuclear power promotion.
“The ANRE and the JPC drew up a plan to restart nuclear reactors at the Genkai NPP. It is clear that the briefing was a part of this plan”, said Yoshii.
