Meanwhile, a lawsuit aimed at blocking the restart of the nuclear power plant is ongoing at the Sapporo High Court in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido.
After the Nuclear Regulation Authority concluded in July that the No. 3 reactor complies with new regulatory standards, the Japanese government asked the prefectural government of Hokkaido and the four municipalities, including the village of Tomari, in August to understand the restart.
Tomari and the three municipalities–the towns of Kyowa and Iwanai and the village of Kamoenai–have approved the restart.
Late last month, the governor indicated his support for the restart at a prefectural assembly meeting.
He visited the plant last Thursday to check safety measures there.
Suzuki has also met with the heads of the four municipalities, stating, “I will make a final decision based on the municipal leaders’ decisions, which are serious.”
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
AloJapan.com