Regarding the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, where discussions continue regarding its restart, a briefing session was held in Niigata Prefecture on evacuation plans and other information in the event of an accident. There have been a number of voices questioning the effectiveness of the system in the event of a complex disaster.
The briefing session held in Nagaoka City was attended by mayors of municipalities in Niigata Prefecture, as well as national representatives from the Nuclear Regulation Authority and the Cabinet Office, which is in charge of evacuation plans for nuclear power plant accidents.
A Cabinet Office official said that in the event of a serious accident at a nuclear power plant, residents within a 5km radius should, in principle, evacuate immediately. In this case, we explained that we would prioritize sheltering indoors until the weather improves.
In the subsequent exchange of opinions, local governments repeatedly questioned the effectiveness of evacuation plans in the event of a complex disaster, as the Noto Peninsula earthquake caused a series of road disruptions and collapsed buildings.
Of these, Mayor Tatsunobu Isoda of Nagaoka City asked, ``Is it realistic to evacuate indoors if we assume that houses will collapse due to earthquakes or snow?'' A Cabinet Office official said, ``If houses collapse, it will be necessary to evacuate.'' I want people to move to a different location and continue sheltering in place.''
The focus is on local consent regarding restarting the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, but Governor Hanazumi of Niigata Prefecture has indicated that he will pay close attention to the government's consideration of countermeasures in the wake of the Noto Peninsula earthquake.