nuclear-news

Japan’s Prime Minister Abe welcomes in pro nuclear officials

Pro-nuclear bureaucrats back in the picture under Abe THE ASAHI
SHIMBUN, 30 Dec 12
The Liberal Democratic Party wasted little time restoring the
influence of the pro-nuclear industry ministry to move away from the
nuclear-free society envisioned by the previous government.

Soon after new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe established his Cabinet on
Dec. 26, moves were quickly made that elated ministry officials who
had been kept on the defensive since the March 2011 accident at the
Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

Even before he was named prime minister, Abe indicated the direction
he would take concerning the nation’s energy policy. And LDP members
expressed confidence that the party’s landslide victory in the Dec. 16
Lower House election had given them the go-ahead from the public to
pursue nuclear power generation. At a news conference at the Yamaguchi
prefectural government building, Abe said he would review the decision
of the Democratic Party of Japan-led government to halt new
construction of reactors, opening the door for the possible
construction of a nuclear plant at Kaminoseki in the prefecture.

Standing by Abe’s side was Takaya Imai, a former deputy
director-general of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, which
comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and
Industry. Imai was an administrative aide during Abe’s first stint as
prime minister.

A day after the LDP’s election victory, Imai was removed from the
deputy director-general’s post and was appointed a policy aide to Abe,
giving the ministry veteran greater influence over a much wider policy
area.

When Naoto Kan was prime minister during the DPJ government, Imai was
involved in exporting nuclear plant technology to Vietnam. When the
administration of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda was moving toward
resuming operations at the Oi nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture this
past summer, Imai served as a liaison with local government officials.
METI officials chose Tadao Yanase, deputy director-general of the
Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau, as administrative aide to Abe
this time around. Yanase was involved in compiling a plan for the
promotion of nuclear energy in 2006, when he headed the Nuclear Energy
Policy Planning Division.

Because past LDP governments worked closely with the ministry to
promote nuclear energy, the return to power by the LDP provides the
opportunity for the new administration to again promote nuclear power
generation……
At his first news conference after becoming industry minister,
Toshimitsu Motegi said he would review the DPJ proposal to end
operations at all nuclear reactors by the 2030s. He said future
political decisions would be made about whether to allow construction
to start on nine planned reactors…..
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201212290056

December 31, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, politics