核ごみ争点に２０年ぶり選挙戦　現新２氏が届け出―北海道寿都町長選

　原発から出る高レベル放射性廃棄物（核のごみ）の最終処分地選定に向けた文献調査が進む北海道寿都町で２１日、任期満了に伴う町長選が告示され、調査に反対する新人と調査を推進する現職の２氏が立候補を届け出た。調査の是非を争点に２０年ぶりの選挙戦が繰り広げられる。投開票は２６日。
　立候補したのは届け出順に、新人で元町議の越前谷由樹氏（７０）と、６選を目指す現職の片岡春雄氏（７２）。
　越前谷氏は、片岡氏を「独断で調査に応募し、町民を分断させた」と批判し、自らが当選した場合は調査を撤回すると明言。調査の交付金に頼らない財政運営を訴える。
　片岡氏は、地域経済の回復を最大の公約に掲げ、調査について「国から交付金も得られる」と意義を強調。調査を次の段階に進めるかは住民投票で賛否を問うと説明し、「（町長選の）争点ではない」としている。（2021/10/21-09:25）

A Hokkaido town Thursday kicked off the campaign period for its first mayoral election in 20 years, focusing on whether to continue a survey on a possible final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste.
   For Tuesday's election at Suttsu in the northernmost Japan prefecture, 70-year-old Yoshiki Echizenya, a former town assembly member opposing the survey, runs against 72-year-old Mayor Haruo Kataoka in his fifth term, who approved the start of the survey.
   Echizenya has criticized Kataoka for applying for the first stage of the three-stage survey based on "his unilateral decision," leaving local residents split up.
   The first stage, known as a literature investigation, checks geological literature and data as part of the survey to find possible locations of the final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants.
   Echizenya has promised to pull the plug on the survey altogether once elected as mayor. He calls for fiscal management not dependent on state grants paid for the survey.