Japan - Environmental assessment - Nuke plants

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@ix.netcom.com>]

The following article addresses Japan's flirtation with an 
environmental assessment law that will govern construction of nuclear 
power plants. The article was provided by Reuters News Service.
------------
  TOKYO, Feb 3  - Japan is considering introducing an  
environmental assessment law that would include guidelines on 
construction of nuclear power plants, a Trade Ministry official 
said on Monday. 
  He said the ministry and the Environment Agency were holding  
separate discussions on the subject. 
  It was unclear whether a separate law would be drafted to  
cover construction of nuclear power plants or whether it would 
be included in a law on construction of public-sector 
infrastructure projects such as roads and airports. 
  Resource-poor Japan, which uses nuclear power for about 30  
percent of its energy, is the only developed country without 
such an environmental assessment law. 
  The government hopes to be able to draft a bill in time to  
meet a March 11 deadline for submitting non-budgetary bills to 
the current session of parliament, the official said. 
  The ministry's proposal calls for the early participation of  
local residents when studying whether to build a nuclear power 
plant in a certain area, he said. 
  Japan currently carries out environmental assessments prior  
to the construction of nuclear power plants, but they are 
non-binding, as are public referendums. 
  A referendum in a town in northern Japan last August  
rejected the construction of a nuclear power plant there. 
  Numerous attempts to introduce an environmental assessment  
law in the past have failed, often due to objections from 
businesses which say the law would hinder economic development. 
  Public doubts about Japan's nuclear power programme have  
intensified since a coolant accident at Japan's prototype 
fast-breeder reactor, Monju, in December 1995. 
  But there are few suggestions about how Japan might  
realistically solve its energy problems without nuclear power. 

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Sandy Perle
Technical Director
ICN Dosimetry Division
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Office: (800) 548-5100 x2306 
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E-Mail: sandyfl@ix.netcom.com
        sperle@icnpharm.com

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