核ごみ処分地選定に賛否　経産省が初の住民説明会―北海道神恵内村

　経済産業省と原子力発電環境整備機構（ＮＵＭＯ）は２６日、高レベル放射性廃棄物（核のごみ）最終処分地選定をめぐり、北海道神恵内村で住民説明会を開催した。地層処分や処分地選定の第１段階に当たる「文献調査」などについて説明。村民からは賛成、反対両方の意見が出た。
　村の調査応募に関する動きが明らかになって以降、経産省とＮＵＭＯが村民に直接説明するのは初めて。説明会は午後６時半から約２時間行われた。（2020/09/26-21:53）

Both support and opposition have been expressed by residents over their village in the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido hosting a facility for final disposal of high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants.
   At a meeting held on Saturday in the village of Kamoenai, the Japanese industry ministry and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan, or NUMO, explained to residents about issues related to a "literature" survey, the first of the three stages in the process of selecting a final disposal site for such radioactive waste, and a deep geological repository, which will be built far below the ground to keep the waste.
   It was the first time for the ministry and NUMO to speak directly to Kamoenai residents about the matters since moves by the government of the village to apply for the literature survey came to be known earlier this month. About 130 residents joined the meeting, which lasted about two and a half hours from 6:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m. GMT).
   Officials of NUMO stressed the safety of the method to store radioactive waste deep under the ground, assuring the participants that a place near a volcano or an active fault will not be selected as a site for the repository.
   Some of the participating residents showed tolerance of the village applying for the literature survey, noting that Kamoenai neighbors the village of Tomari, which hosts Hokkaido Electric Power Co.'s Tomari nuclear power station.