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Noda calls for limited reliance on nuke power
Source: Agencies |
September 14, 2011, Wednesday
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JAPAN'S prime minister promised yesterday to restart nuclear plants that clear safety checks ordered in the wake of the country's nuclear disaster, but also said the nation should reduce its reliance on atomic energy over the long term.
Addressing parliament in his first policy speech since taking office two weeks ago, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda also said he would press ahead with the recovery along the tsunami-battered northeastern coast, calling on his fellow citizens not to forget "the spirit of dignity of all Japanese that was displayed despite the hopelessness of this giant disaster."
Noda's predecessor Naoto Kan was criticized as ineffective for his handling of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and the ensuing nuclear crisis, the world's worst since Chernobyl. The crisis saw three reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex go into meltdown after their backup generators were destroyed by the tsunami.
In the wake of that emergency, the government ordered safety checks on all nuclear reactors. More than 30 of Japan's 54 reactors were idled over the summer, causing electricity shortages amid the sweltering heat.
Authorities haven't set a clear date for completing the safety checks, but Noda's statement sends a clear signal that he intends to resume Japan's heavy reliance on nuclear plants for its energy needs, at least for the time being. Before the tsunami, Japan's nuclear plants produced 30 percent of its electricity.
Still, Noda made it clear he would be sensitive to the concerns of local residents living near the plants. "We will move ahead with restarting those nuclear plants whose safety has been thoroughly checked and confirmed, and with the condition that a relationship of trust is built with the local communities."
He said he will fight to erase fears in the minds of the public about illnesses in children and pregnant women, work to ensure food safety and to compensate farmers and others who suffered damage from the massive radiation leak at Fukushima.
He also promised to carefully review the nation's energy policy, exploring new technology and sources of sustainable energy. "In the long and medium term, we must aim toward a direction of reducing our reliance on nuclear power as much as possible," he said.
Noda, known as a proponent of raising Japan's sales tax, did not outline a tax program in his speech, but said that the burden of the recovery costs from the disaster should not be left to future generations.
He promised to continue with building homes, removing debris and aiding disaster victims in northeastern Japan, where entire coastlines have been wiped out and turned into mud and rubble.
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