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タイ在住11年目、妻はタイ人、娘が2人、養女が2人

September 11, 2014(Mainichi Japan)
Editorial: Move to restart reactors without sufficient debate a huge mistake
社説:川内原発再稼働　なし崩し的に進めるな

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has approved a screening document giving the No. 1 and 2 reactors at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Sendai Nuclear Power Plant a pass under new screening standards -- a first in Japan.
　九州電力川内（せんだい）原発１、２号機（鹿児島県薩摩川内市）の安全審査で、原子力規制委員会は新規制基準への合格証となる審査書を決定した。全国の原発で初めてだ。

The power company is now stepping up efforts to gain local consent to restart the reactors. But many issues have been left unaddressed, and we cannot accept reactivation without proper debate on these issues.
九電は再稼働に向け、地元への同意手続きを本格化させる。しかし、多くの課題が残されたままで、なし崩し的に再稼働を進めることは認められない。

Two months before the screening document was adopted, the Mainichi Shimbun proposed two minimum conditions for restarting the reactors: preparing a way to curb damage to residents based on lessons learned from the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and having the government outline a roadmap for eliminating dependence on nuclear power and clarify where the reactivation of nuclear reactors is positioned within the nation's overall energy strategy.
　私たちは審査書案がまとまった２カ月前に、次の二つを再稼働の最低条件として挙げた。福島第１原発事故を教訓に、住民の被害を食い止める手立てを整えておくこと。政府が脱原発依存の道筋を描いた上で、エネルギー政策全体の中に再稼働をどう位置付けるか明示することだ。

This month the government sent workers to Kagoshima Prefecture, among other areas, to help formulate evacuation plans that would be implemented in the event of a nuclear accident. It is also considering making power companies present maintenance plans for aging reactors and urging utilities to reach a decision on whether to decommission or extend the life of their reactors.
　政府は今月に入り、鹿児島県などに職員を派遣し、事故に備えた避難計画の策定支援に乗り出した。電力会社に老朽化した原発の整備計画を提出させ、稼働延長か廃炉かの決断を促すことも検討している。

But these measures have come too late, and even if they guarantee the effectiveness of evacuation plans, we still have no outline of how the nation can free itself from reliance on nuclear power.
だが、これらの対応は遅すぎたほどで、避難計画の実効性確保も、脱原発依存の道筋を描くこともできていない。

The government says it plans to proceed with restarting nuclear power plants that have passed NRA screening. But it has not explained how it plans to obtain the consent it needs from local bodies for the plants to go into operation.
　政府は、規制委の審査に合格した原発の再稼働を進める方針を掲げるが、そのために必要な地元同意を得る手順も示さないままだ。

Under current rules, power companies must obtain consent from prefectural governments, as well as cities, towns or villages, where the nuclear power plants are located. But that leaves restarting nuclear reactors entirely in the hands of power companies and local bodies.
　現行ルールでは、電力会社が原発立地県や立地市町村の同意を得れば再稼働できる。しかし、それでは、再稼働の判断を電力会社と地元自治体に丸投げすることになる。

Kagoshima Gov. Yuichiro Ito has asked the government to state in writing why it is necessary to reactivate the Sendai plant's nuclear reactors. In doing so he has expressed the position that the government bears responsibility for restarting the reactors. The government intends to comply, but this must not end up a mere ceremony.
　鹿児島県の伊藤祐一郎知事は政府に、再稼働の必要性を文書で示すよう要請した。再稼働を判断する責任は国にあるという態度表明だ。政府も応じる考えだが、単なるセレモニーに終わらせてはならない。

It is feared that if nuclear power plants are not restarted, then imports of fossil fuels will be pushed up, which could negatively affect the economy. But the risk of accidents that goes hand in hand with reactivation of nuclear reactors remains. So why are officials deciding to restart these reactors? Are we perfectly prepared for any accident that could occur?
　原発が稼働しなければ化石燃料の輸入増加が続き、経済への影響が懸念される。だが、原発稼働に伴う事故のリスクは残ったままだ。そうした中で再稼働をなぜ決断するのか。事故が起きた時の態勢は万全か。

The government has a responsibility to spend time explaining the issue to the public, deepen discussion, and reflect this in its policies.
政府は国民に説明を重ね、議論を深め、政策に反映する責務がある。

When proceeding to gain consent for reactivation from local bodies, the government must deeply respect the opinions not only of the municipalities where the reactors are located, but also those within a 30-kilometer radius of the nuclear power plant, where evacuation plans must be prepared.
　再稼働の同意手続きに際しては、立地市町村に加え、避難計画の策定を義務付けられた原発３０キロ圏の市町村の意見を最大限尊重すべきだ。

In July, the municipal assembly of the city of Aira, which lies within 30 kilometers of the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant, expressed opposition to restarting the plant's reactors, stating that residents felt uneasy about evacuation plans. It approved a document calling for the reactors to be decommissioned. In the Kagoshima Prefecture city of Ichikikushikino, meanwhile, more than half of the city's residents signed a petition opposing reactivation.
　川内原発から３０キロ圏の姶良（あいら）市議会は７月、「住民は避難計画に不安を持っている」として川内原発の再稼働に反対し、廃炉を求める意見書を可決した。いちき串木野市では住民の半数を上回る再稼働反対署名が集まった。

However, as is the case with the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant and many other nuclear facilities, there exists no mechanism enabling the opinions of residents in these neighboring municipalities to be reflected in decisions on whether or not nuclear reactors should be restarted.
しかし、川内をはじめ多くの原発では、こうした近隣市町村の意見を再稼働の判断に反映する仕組みがない。

Municipalities hosting nuclear power plants tend to favor reactivation due to the strong economic ties they have to those plants. If the government and power companies are hoping they can restrict consent for activation of nuclear power plants to as small a sphere as possible, then they are making a huge mistake.
　経済面で原発との結びつきが強い立地市町村は再稼働を望みがちだ。同意の範囲をなるべく狭く抑えたいと政府や電力会社が考えているとしたら、大きな間違いだ。

毎日新聞　2014年09月11日　02時35分