

Currently released so far... 12553 / 251,287
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
2011/05/01
2011/05/02
2011/05/03
2011/05/04
2011/05/05
2011/05/06
2011/05/07
2011/05/08
2011/05/09
2011/05/10
2011/05/11
2011/05/12
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy Niamey
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sapporo
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
APECO
ASEC
AMGT
AFIN
APER
ACABQ
AORC
AEMR
AF
AE
AR
AGMT
AU
AY
ABLD
AS
AG
AJ
APCS
AX
AM
AMEX
ATRN
ADM
AMED
AFGHANISTAN
AZ
AL
ASUP
AND
ARM
ASEAN
AFFAIRS
AQ
ATFN
AMBASSADOR
AODE
APEC
ACBAQ
AFSI
AFSN
AO
ABUD
AC
ADPM
ADCO
ASIG
ARF
AUC
ASEX
AGAO
AA
AER
AVERY
AGRICULTURE
AIT
AADP
ASCH
AORL
AROC
ACOA
ANET
AID
AMCHAMS
AINF
AMG
AFU
AN
ALOW
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
ACS
ADANA
AECL
ACAO
AORG
AGR
BEXP
BR
BM
BG
BL
BA
BTIO
BO
BP
BC
BILAT
BK
BU
BD
BRUSSELS
BB
BF
BBSR
BIDEN
BX
BE
BH
BT
BY
BMGT
BWC
BTIU
BN
CA
CASC
CFED
CO
CH
CS
CU
CE
CI
CM
CMGT
CJAN
COM
CG
CIS
CVIS
CR
CKGR
CHR
CVR
COUNTER
CIA
CLINTON
CY
CPAS
CD
CBW
COUNTERTERRORISM
CITEL
CDG
CW
CODEL
COUNTRY
CLEARANCE
COE
CN
CARICOM
CB
CONDOLEEZZA
CWC
CACS
CSW
CIDA
CIC
CITT
CONS
CL
CACM
CDB
CDC
CAN
CF
CJUS
CTM
CBSA
CARSON
CT
CLMT
CBC
CEUDA
CV
COPUOS
CTR
CROS
CAPC
CAC
CNARC
CICTE
CBE
ECON
ETRD
EIND
ENRG
EC
ELAB
EAGR
EAID
EFIS
EFIN
EINV
EUN
EG
EPET
EAIR
EU
ELTN
EWWT
ECIN
ERD
EI
ETTC
EUR
EN
EZ
ETC
ENVI
EMIN
ET
ENVR
ER
ECPS
EINT
EAP
ES
ENIV
ECONOMY
EXTERNAL
EINN
EFTA
ECONOMIC
EPA
EXBS
ECA
ELN
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
ENGR
ECUN
ENGY
ECONOMICS
ELECTIONS
EIAR
EINDETRD
EREL
EUC
ECONEFIN
EURN
EDU
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ECIP
ENERG
EFIM
EAIDS
EK
ETRDECONWTOCS
EINVETC
ECONCS
EUNCH
ESA
ECINECONCS
EUREM
ESENV
EFINECONCS
ETRC
ENNP
EAIG
EXIM
EEPET
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EUMEM
ETRA
ERNG
ETRO
ETRN
EINVEFIN
ICTY
IN
IS
IR
IC
IZ
IA
INTERPOL
IAEA
IT
IMO
IO
IV
ID
IRAQI
IEA
INRB
IL
IWC
ITU
ICAO
ISRAELI
ICRC
IIP
IMF
IBRD
ISLAMISTS
ITALY
ITALIAN
ILO
IPR
IQ
IRS
IAHRC
IZPREL
IRAJ
IDP
ILC
ITF
ICJ
IF
ITPHUM
INMARSAT
ISRAEL
IACI
IBET
ITRA
INR
IRC
IDA
ICTR
IGAD
INRA
INRO
IEFIN
INTELSAT
INTERNAL
INDO
ITPGOV
KWMN
KSCA
KDEM
KTFN
KIPR
KCRM
KPAL
KE
KPAO
KPKO
KS
KN
KISL
KFRD
KJUS
KIRF
KFLO
KG
KTIP
KTER
KRCM
KTIA
KGHG
KIRC
KU
KPRP
KMCA
KMPI
KSEO
KNNP
KZ
KNEI
KCOR
KOMC
KCFC
KSTC
KMDR
KFLU
KSAF
KSEP
KSAC
KR
KGIC
KSUM
KWBG
KCIP
KDRG
KOLY
KAWC
KCHG
KHDP
KRVC
KBIO
KAWK
KGCC
KHLS
KBCT
KPLS
KREL
KCFE
KMFO
KV
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KFTFN
KVPR
KTDB
KSPR
KIDE
KVRP
KTEX
KBTR
KTRD
KICC
KCOM
KO
KLIG
KDEMAF
KMRS
KRAD
KOCI
KSTH
KUNR
KNSD
KGIT
KFSC
KHIV
KPAI
KICA
KACT
KHUM
KREC
KSEC
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KCMR
KPIN
KESS
KDEV
KNAR
KNUC
KPWR
KENV
KWWMN
KWMNCS
KPRV
KOM
KBTS
KCRS
KNPP
KWNM
KRFD
KVIR
KTBT
KAID
KRIM
KDDG
KRGY
KHSA
KWMM
KMOC
KSCI
KPAK
KX
KPAONZ
KCGC
KID
KPOA
KIFR
KFIN
KWAC
KOMS
KCRCM
KNUP
KMIG
KNNPMNUC
KERG
KTLA
KCSY
KJUST
MOPS
MARR
MASS
MNUC
MX
MCAP
MO
MR
MI
MD
MK
MA
MP
MY
MTCRE
MOPPS
MASC
MIL
MTS
MLS
MILI
MAR
MU
MEPN
MAPP
MTCR
MEPI
MZ
MEETINGS
MG
MW
MAS
MT
MCC
MIK
ML
MARAD
MV
MERCOSUR
MTRE
MPOS
MEPP
MILITARY
MDC
MQADHAFI
MUCN
MRCRE
MAPS
MEDIA
MASSMNUC
MC
NZ
NZUS
NL
NU
NATO
NP
NO
NIPP
NE
NH
NR
NA
NPT
NI
NSF
NG
NSG
NAFTA
NC
NDP
NEW
NRR
NATIONAL
NT
NS
NASA
NAR
NV
NORAD
NSSP
NK
NPA
NGO
NSC
NATOPREL
NW
NPG
NSFO
OPDC
OTRA
OIIP
OREP
OVIP
OSCE
OEXC
OIE
OPRC
OAS
OPIC
OTR
OMIG
OSAC
OFFICIALS
OECD
OSCI
OBSP
OFDA
OPCW
ODIP
OFDP
OES
OPAD
OCII
OHUM
OVP
ON
OIC
OCS
PHUM
PREL
PGOV
PINR
PTER
PARM
PREF
PM
PE
PINS
PK
PHSA
PBTS
PRGOV
PA
PORG
PP
PS
PGOF
PL
PO
PARMS
PKFK
PSOE
PEPR
PAK
POL
PPA
PINT
PMAR
PRELP
PREFA
PALESTINIAN
PBIO
PINF
PNG
PMIL
PFOR
PUNE
PGOVLO
PAO
POLITICS
PHUMBA
PSEPC
PTBS
PCUL
PROP
PNAT
PNR
POLINT
PGOVE
PROG
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PDEM
PECON
PROV
PHUMPREL
PGOC
PY
PCI
PLN
PDOV
PREO
PGIV
PHUH
PAS
PU
POGOV
PF
PINL
POV
PAHO
PRL
PG
PRAM
POLITICAL
PARTIES
POLICY
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PGGV
PHUS
PSA
PHUMPGOV
PEL
PSI
PAIGH
POSTS
PBT
PTERE
RS
RU
RW
RM
RO
RP
REGION
RSP
RF
RICE
RCMP
RFE
RIGHTS
RIGHTSPOLMIL
ROBERT
RUPREL
RELATIONS
ROOD
REACTION
RSO
REPORT
SENV
SNAR
SCUL
SR
SC
SOCI
SMIG
SI
SP
SU
SO
SW
SY
SA
SZ
SAN
SF
SN
STEINBERG
SG
ST
SIPDIS
SNARIZ
SNARN
SSA
SK
SPCVIS
SOFA
SAARC
SL
SEVN
SARS
SIPRS
SHUM
SANC
SWE
SHI
SYR
SNARCS
SPCE
SYRIA
SEN
SH
SCRS
SENVKGHG
TRGY
TSPL
TPHY
TSPA
TBIO
TI
TW
THPY
TX
TU
TS
TZ
TC
TH
TT
TIP
TO
TERRORISM
TRSY
TINT
TN
TURKEY
TBID
TL
TV
TNGD
TD
TF
TP
TFIN
TAGS
TK
TR
UNSC
UK
UNGA
UN
US
UNHRC
UG
UP
UNMIK
UNHCR
UE
USTR
UNVIE
UAE
UZ
UY
UNO
UNESCO
USEU
USOAS
UV
UNODC
UNCHS
UNFICYP
UNEP
UNIDROIT
UNDESCO
UNDP
UNPUOS
UNC
UNAUS
USUN
UNCHC
UNCHR
UNCND
UNICEF
UNCSD
UNDC
USNC
USPS
USAID
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 06FUKUOKA9, NUCLEAR ENERGY POLITICS IN WESTERN JAPAN: KYUSHU ELECTRIC'S
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #06FUKUOKA9.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
06FUKUOKA9 | 2006-02-09 05:42 | 2011-05-07 05:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | Consulate Fukuoka |
VZCZCXRO0808
RR RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHFK #0009/01 0400542
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090542Z FEB 06
FM AMCONSUL FUKUOKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0162
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0168
INFO RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 0065
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 0064
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 0073
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 0067
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 0180
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 FUKUOKA 000009
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG EMIN ECON SENV SOCI PGOV TRGY JA
SUBJECT: NUCLEAR ENERGY POLITICS IN WESTERN JAPAN: KYUSHU ELECTRIC'S
PLUTHERMAL PROJECT
Sensitive but Unclassified - Not for Internet Distribution.
SUMMARY
¶1. (SBU) With Saga Governor Yasushi Furukawa's declaration
February 7 that he believes pluthermal (plutonium-thermal)
technology is safe, Kyushu Electric Power Co. (Kyuden) is close
to securing final approval from local officials to initiate
pluthermal power generation at its Genkai No. 3 Reactor in Saga
Prefecture. Kyuden would be the first Japanese utility to
implement such a project, in which recycled plutonium-uranium
(MOX) fuel is burned in a light-water reactor. The company has
held a long series of explanatory meetings for area residents to
emphasize the need for and safety of pluthermal technology.
Still, alleviating local anxieties has proven tougher than
anticipated. Kyuden's experience underscores the continued
unease many Japanese have toward nuclear power, and illustrates
the evolving nature of relations between central government and
local authorities in today's Japan. End summary.
FINAL PROJECT APPROVAL LIKELY AS EARLY AS MARCH
¶2. (U) On February 7, 2006 Saga Governor Yasushi Furukawa told
reporters at a news conference that, after careful consideration
of central government safety measures and Saga prefecture's own
research, he had concluded that a proposed pluthermal project at
Kyuden's Genkai No. 3 nuclear power plant is safe. While the
project must still be endorsed by the Genkai Town Council and
the Saga Prefectural Assembly, the governor's announcement
provides a critical boost to Kyuden's hopes of securing final
approval as early as March. Kyuden needs to begin procurement
and facilities preparations very soon if it is to meet its goal
of initiating pluthermal power generation by JFY 2010.
WASTE DISPOSAL, ENERGY SECURITY CONCERNS ARE DRIVERS
¶3. (U) Plutonium-thermal (""pluthermal"") technology is not new.
Used in Europe for years, it consists of extracting waste
plutonium from spent fuel rods and combining it with uranium to
form new fuel, which can be burned in conventional light-water
reactors. Considerations over nuclear waste disposal and the
greater strategic concerns about energy security have recently
spurred Japanese interest in pluthermal technology. Since
operations at Japan's prototype ""Monju"" fast-breeder reactor in
Fukui Prefecture were put on hold following a December 1995
accident, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI)
has instead been pushing pluthermal technology as part of its
""nuclear fuel cycle"" strategy. METI aims to effectively reuse
fuels that are otherwise discarded, thus slowing the growth of
Japan's nuclear waste stockpile.
¶4. (SBU) Compared to uranium, pluthermal MOX fuel is much more
expensive due to processing costs. However, Kyuden contends
that the technology is cost effective when long-term savings
from reduced waste storage and potential environmental harm are
factored in. National energy security is also a consideration.
With global demand for uranium now outstripping production and a
real possibility that world stockpiles may become depleted, the
GOJ and regional utilities are eager to reduce dependence on
imported uranium fuel. This is particularly true for Kyuden,
which generates a higher percentage of electricity from nuclear
power than any other utility in Japan (45% versus 30% on
average).
¶5. (U) While Kyuden is closest to actual implementation, Tokyo
Electric Power (TEPCO) and Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO) also
have prior METI approval for pluthermal projects, and
applications from other utilities are pending. Meanwhile, in
January 2006 eleven power companies, including power
wholesalers, announced long-term plans to burn as much as 6.5
tons of reprocessed plutonium annually in 16-18 nuclear power
plants across Japan beginning in JFY 2012, following the GOJ's
basic policy outline for expansion of pluthermal technology.
DESPITE ASSURANCES, COST AND SAFETY CONCERNS PERSIST
¶6. (U) METI approved Kyuden's pluthermal proposal in September
2005, certifying that it met GOJ safety requirements. To
proceed, Kyuden must get final approval from communities in
proximity to the Genkai plant and from Saga Prefecture. Since
first announcing the project in 2004, Kyuden has held over 200
explanatory meetings for area residents. The company, which
FUKUOKA 00000009 002 OF 003
operates six nuclear reactors in Kyushu (four at the Genkai
site), has emphasized its exemplary 30-year safety record in
nuclear power generation.
¶7. (U) At the insistence of Saga Prefecture, METI sponsored its
own public symposium in October 2005, inviting nuclear power
specialists to discuss the ""necessity"" and ""safety"" of
pluthermal technology. However, the conference did not succeed
in fully allaying concerns about the process. Pro-pluthermal
experts claimed that plutonium recycling would reduce enriched
uranium use by 15-20%. Their opponents insisted that only one
percent of plutonium could be extracted from spent fuel, and
noted that the price of imported MOX fuel is currently about
four times that of uranium. Skeptics point to a March 2004
controversy in which the Natural Resources and Energy Agency,
fearful of derailing the country's nuclear recycling goals,
attempted to cover up a report showing that the cost of
reprocessing nuclear fuel is two to four times higher than
storing it in waste facilities.
¶8. (U) While the October symposium did not fully examine safety
concerns about pluthermal technology, experts are split on the
issue. Opponents argued that MOX fuel is inherently unstable
and that the reprocessed rods are prone to breakage, thereby
increasing the likelihood of accidents. They also tried to make
the political case that because plutonium can be employed in
nuclear weapons, its greater use in nuclear power generation may
facilitate any future GOJ efforts to develop a domestic nuclear
weapons capability. Proponents dismissed these fears as highly
exaggerated. They countered that the ""plutonium use leads to
nuclear weapons"" notion is too simplistic, adding that
pluthermal recycling actually degrades plutonium to less than
weapons grade.
¶9. (SBU) Recognizing the continued public uncertainty, Saga
Governor Yasushi Furukawa directed the prefecture to sponsor its
own forum on pluthermal safety issues.
Following that symposium in December, the governor said the
safety and necessity of the project had been thoroughly
discussed, setting the stage for his February 7 announcement.
Saga prefectural officials appear generally satisfied with
Kyuden's plan from a safety standpoint, and tell post they have
a good, longstanding relationship of mutual trust with the
utility. On the other hand, the officials are much less
charitable about the central government's handling of the issue.
For instance, Governor Furukawa has openly complained that, for
a policy the GOJ claims is in the national interest, Tokyo has
done little beyond asking local jurisdictions for their
cooperation. Most of the work to allay public concerns has been
abdicated to the utility companies themselves, he noted.
IF THE SCIENCE DOESN'T PERSUADE THEM, MAYBE THE YEN WILL
¶10. (SBU) According to post's Kyuden contacts, Genkai Town
officials appear inclined to give their approval for the
project. The latest wrinkle, however, is opposition from the
much larger city of Karatsu. Through a January 2005 merger with
several smaller communities, Karatsu moved its boundaries much
closer to the Genkai plant, and some 27,000 new Karatsu
residents (four times the population of Genkai Town) now live
within 10 kilometers of the facility. Kyuden has a ""safety
agreement"" with Genkai Town and Saga Prefecture dating from 1972
which requires these jurisdictions' approval for new nuclear
power projects at the site. There is no such agreement with
Karatsu, and while the city is pushing to be included, both
Kyuden and Saga officials are resisting this added complication.
¶11. (SBU) In December, the Karatsu City Assembly set up a
""Pluthermal Special Committee"" which will issue a formal stance
on the Kyuden project by the end of the current fiscal year
(March 2006). Kyuden suspects that money, not safety, may be
the biggest consideration for Karatsu officials. They told post
that under the current system, Genkai Town has received about
Yen 18.7 billion ($170 million at Yen 110/$) in GOJ subsidies
over the last 30 years. In addition to large property and
corporate taxes, Kyuden itself reportedly made a one-time
payment of at least Yen 3 billion ($27 million) to the town as a
""cooperation fee"" to deal with local opposition groups. Local
observers speculate Karatsu wants access to this gravy train for
itself.
FUKUOKA 00000009 003 OF 003
COMMENT
¶12. (SBU) The GOJ and the Japanese power industry hope that a
successful launch of Kyuden's pluthermal project will give
momentum to the GOJ's ""nuclear fuel cycle"" initiative, and odds
are that Kyuden will soon win local approval to proceed. Still,
in discussions with post, Kyuden officials don't hide their
exasperation with opposition groups who refuse to accept
Kyuden's and METI's detailed explanations as to why pluthermal
technology is safe. Noting that plutonium is already a natural
by-product of current generation methods, one Kyuden manager
attributed the opposition to an ""irrational"" fear of nuclear
energy among some Japanese that no science-based reassurances
may be able to change. Yet, opinions are divided even among
nuclear experts over the technology. The Kyuden official
admitted that a series of safety lapses in recent years at other
Japanese utilities' nuclear power plants have cost the industry
serious public trust.
¶13. (SBU) The project also illustrates the evolving nature of
central government/local relations in today's Japan. A Genkai
plant manager told post that had this project been proposed 20
or 30 years ago, GOJ approval and Kyuden safety assurances would
have been sufficient basis to forge ahead. These days, however,
local sentiments cannot be ignored - and officials in places
like Karatsu City know it. In an ironic twist to the GOJ's
policy of pushing local communities to merge in order to promote
""Chiho-Bunken"" (delegation of power to local governments),
Karatsu is now taking advantage of its bigger, post-merger
position to try to extract greater concessions from the GOJ and
Kyuden. Japan may remain highly centralized, but Tokyo
authorities and influential companies are finding that they no
longer call all the shots. End comment.
WONG