Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

JAPANESE

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I have one item to report to you, concerning the terrorist incident that occurred in Mumbai, India.
Japan expresses its strong shock and indignation at the many deaths and injuries caused by the terrorist attacks that occurred in Mumbai, India, yesterday evening, July 13. Japan mourns the victims and expresses its condolences to the bereaved families. No act of terrorism can ever be justified, no matter what the reason. Japan firmly condemns such cruel acts of terrorism that have claimed the lives of innocent people. The Government of Japan hopes that the people of India will quickly overcome this ordeal, and intends to continue cooperating with the international community to combat terrorism.

Q&As

REPORTER: I believe that under the Roadmap for the conclusion of the incident at the nuclear power station, the deadline for Step 1 is July 17. What is the current outlook for achieving this target, and what are the Governments' intentions following achievement of Step 1, including the removal of the designations for emergency evacuation areas?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Although various troubles were experienced during the Step 1 processes, the outlook is that it can be achieved within the specified deadline. Given that we wish to conclude the final stages of Step 1 within the original deadline, I understand that work is progressing towards that goal. On a related note, and particularly with regard to the emergency evacuation preparation areas, if Step 1 can be achieved then it can be assumed that the risk of the situation at the nuclear power station suddenly and rapidly deteriorating would significantly drop. In that case we are now looking into the scope for reducing the emergency evacuation preparation areas and the areas where it would be possible to remove such designations.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: I have a question concerning the restarting of operations at the Unit 3 reactor of Tomari Nuclear Power Station of Hokkaido Electric Power Company (HEPCO) and similar reactors that are currently running under controlled operations. This was touched upon in a question yesterday, but as the Government has announced safety assessment standards that stipulate the implementation of primary assessments for currently suspended power stations and secondary assessments for those currently in operation, in the course of your discussions to decide on these assessments, did you actually consider the case of power stations where regularly scheduled checks have been concluded and that are currently under controlled operations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Naturally we were aware of that situation.

REPORTER: Having recognized the situation, did you issue the Government stance without coming to a conclusion on whether power stations under controlled operations would be subject to a primary or secondary assessment?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: If you read the policy that was announced the other day, I think you will find that one of the stipulations is "on the occasion of the restarting of operations…."

REPORTER: If that is the case, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) have indicated that such power stations would be subject to a secondary assessment, but in yesterday's press conference it was noted that after considerations at the working level it would be the four ministers involved who would make the final decision. Are we to understand that the views of METI and the Prime Minister's Office are in agreement?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Yesterday, I do not believe that I said "the four ministers involved." In the primary assessment it is the case that the four ministers involved provide final confirmation. What I said yesterday was that if necessary, bearing in mind this is an important issue, there could be cases in which the METI Minister or others would engage in consultations with me. In other words, this is a matter for when some degree of progress has been made and at the current point there are no specific matters to be consulted on.

REPORTER: For local governors, just as in the case of the governor of Saga Prefecture and the mayor of Genkai town, there are some major concerns about the issuance of new standards, particularly after the governors have approved and agreed to the restarting of operations at nuclear power stations. When will the Government be issuing a response to such concerns and do you intend to listen to the wishes of the local governments and hear about local situations, as well as providing explanations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: With regard to such points and others as well, I am aware that METI and NISA are currently engaged in considerations about how to introduce the finalized procedures.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: Students have submitted questions for you and I hope you will permit that I ask these questions on their behalf today and tomorrow. The first refers to a previous question today. When you look at the impact of the nuclear incident it is plain to see that it has expanded beyond the actual prefecture where the power station is located and has spread across a wide area in the Kanto region. Putting aside the fact that stress tests have been designated as an additional condition for restarting operations at power stations, although you may have gained the actual approval of governors and mayors in the prefectures and towns where power stations are located, are you intending to seek approval from neighboring prefectures or at least look into providing explanations to these nearby prefectures?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Putting aside specific procedures and mechanisms, given the recent nuclear incident the people in the immediate vicinity of power stations in particular, but also people in other regions, are demanding that nuclear power be made safer and more reliable. In addition, with regard to nuclear policy overall, as the Prime Minister stated yesterday, the basic premise for continuing to utilize nuclear power, while at the same time seeking to reduce our dependence on it, is that these measures gain the broad understanding of the general public. The question of what measures can be utilized in order to gain such understanding is one that we must consider and is a slightly different dimension to nuclear policy, but it is important to be aware of the issue itself.

REPORTER: In the plenary session of the House of Representatives, Minister Gemba stated that a realistic schedule would be created for energy policy, and that the Energy and Environment Council would issue interim points for discussion by the end of this month concerning innovative energy and environment strategy. Will such points for discussion be based on a long-term objective of abandoning nuclear power in the future, as stated by the Prime Minister?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: It is Minister Gemba who is responsible for compiling the specific points in this interim discussion paper. Speaking frankly, the creation of a society that does not depend on nuclear power is not one that will be achieved in the space of a few years. Even if the ultimate objective is nuclear power-free society, the question of how to proceed and what stage we aim to reach after three, five or ten years is one that has a high possibility of not being directly linked to the ultimate future objective. The first priority is to continue to utilize nuclear power while ensuring safety, and under Minister Gemba specific and realistic points for discussion are being devised that address the question of how we can reduce our dependence on nuclear power.

REPORTER: I asked a question this morning about the restarting of operations at Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station. Given the questions over whether Hamaoka will be treated in the same way as other power stations where operations are currently suspended, I wonder whether the four reactors at Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station will be subject to a primary assessment?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I think that Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station is in another set of special circumstances distinct from those at Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station. For example, in the case of Fukushima Daini, it is extremely difficult to envisage any conditions for restarting operations at the current point that would be acceptable to local residents. If we consider just how much of a burden, hardship and inconvenience is being placed on the local residents, I believe that an answer to your question will become clear in time.

REPORTER: When you say "in time," does that mean that there are no plans to implement a primary assessment at Fukushima Daini?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Speaking frankly, I do not think that at the current point we have reached a stage where discussions can be made on measures towards the restarting of operations.

(Abridged)