Today, we received approval for a change in our FY2024 business plan from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).
NUMO starts Literature Survey in Genkai town, Saga prefecture, from today.

We would like to express our deepest respect and sincere appreciation to Genkai town which accepted Literature Survey.

To realize geological disposal (final disposal), our mission is, primarily, to develop technologies required and to implement Literature Survey, Preliminary Investigation and Detailed Investigation with the consent of the local community. The purpose of these survey and investigations is to identify a site that has the geological environment suitable for geological disposal from multiple potential sites. Ultimately, the goal of our mission is to construct, operate and close a geological disposal facility at the selected site.

Geological disposal is to dispose of the long-lived radioactive waste arising from nuclear power generation deep underground using a multi-barrier system. The system isolates the waste from the surface environment by engineered barriers that store the waste and also by natural barrier, that is, the geological environment for a long period of time.

We are going to start Literature Survey according to “Literature Survey Plan for Genkai Town, Higashi-Matsuura Gun (County), Saga Prefecture”. Throughout the survey period, we will respond to the local residents’ concerns carefully and cordially by explaining about the project from technical and safety perspectives as well as the progress and results of the Literature Survey.

The purpose of Literature Survey is to have the interested municipalities understand more about the geological disposal project by providing information about our survey and analysis using literature and data concerning the local geological environment. The Literature Survey does not lead directly to selection of a site for a final disposal facility. We consider Literature Survey a part of our communication activities.

In selecting a site to construct a final disposal facility, we conduct staged investigations. When we proceed to the next investigation stage, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry must listen to the opinions of the prefectural governor and the municipal mayor concerned as stipulated in Final Disposal Act. Therefore, we will not move forward without the local communities’ consents. Also, we will never bring any radioactive waste during the investigation period.

We will keep promoting communication activities nationwide to have people across the country know more about geological disposal and Japanese geological environment so that, hopefully, Literature Survey is accepted by as many municipalities as possible in Japan.