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Hitachioomiya City Assembly in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, discusses literature survey request for nuclear waste disposal site

Hitachioomiya City in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, received a request from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) asking the city to accept a literature survey for the siting of a final disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste. On September 8, the Hitachioomiya City Assembly held a general question-and-answer session, during which multiple city assembly members expressed their views on whether to accept the survey. Of the five assembly members who filed questions that day, two expressed opposition to accepting the request and one expressed support. The assembly plans to hold a closed-door meeting on September 9, at which each assembly member will state their position, and the relevant content will subsequently be conveyed to Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki for his consideration in formulating the city government's response. Assembly member Toshiyuki Kurata stated that if the literature survey proceeds, it would impact the policies and projects currently being implemented by the city...

2026-09-09

Gyeongju City in South Korea Submits Key Requests to Government for Extension of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant

Gyeongju City, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, stated on September 7 that it has submitted five key pending matters to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, covering nuclear power plants, support facilities for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal, and water supply guarantees for the Hyeongsan River basin. On the same day, Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-young and National Assembly member Kim Seok-ki met with Minister Kim Sung-hwan of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment to explain the importance of the relevant projects to regional development and public welfare, and requested review and support at the central government level. Regarding support facilities for radioactive waste disposal...

2026-09-08

Sejong City Requests National Support for Proton Cancer Therapy Center Budget

On September 2, 2026, the Democratic Party of Korea and Sejong City held their first budget policy consultation meeting at the Sejong City Government to discuss key agenda items and budget support for the city. At the meeting, Sejong City Mayor Cho Sang-ho requested the Democratic Party's attention to several issues, including securing national funding for the construction of a cancer proton therapy center, improving the general grant system for Sejong City, and promoting the passage of the Special Act on the Administrative Capital within the year. After the closed-door consultation, a relevant spokesperson stated in a briefing that the meeting proposed allocating 300 million KRW each in the next year's national budget for a feasibility study on the construction of the cancer proton therapy center and for the formulation of the basic plan for the National Central Bioresource Center.

2026-09-02

Japan Requests Hitachiomiya City in Ibaraki Prefecture to Conduct Literature Survey for High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on August 31 requested Hitachiomiya City in Ibaraki Prefecture to conduct a literature survey, as the first step in siting a final disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste generated from nuclear power plant operations. If Hitachiomiya City agrees, it will become the fifth municipality in Japan to accept such a literature survey, and the second time the Japanese government has proactively requested a survey from a local government, following Minamitorishima in Ogasawara Village, Tokyo. On the same day, Takashi Kume, Vice Commissioner of Japan's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, visited the Hitachiomiya City government and submitted the survey request to Mayor Sadanori Suzuki. Suzuki stated that he personally takes a positive stance toward accepting the literature survey, and noted that the city faces issues such as rapid population decline and a weak local economy, adding that if the area has favorable geological conditions, participating in the national geological disposal policy would be of "significant importance." He said he would make a decision after hearing the views of the city assembly, with the matter possibly being discussed at the regular assembly meeting as early as September.

2026-09-01

Mutsu City Requests Submission of Revised Plan for 5,000-Ton Transport to Spent Fuel Interim Storage Facility

On August 7, Tomoya Yamamoto, Mayor of Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, met with representatives of Recycle Fuel Storage (RFS) and its co-investors Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO HD) and Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC), requesting the three parties to submit a revised mid-to-long-term spent nuclear fuel transport plan, with consideration given to inter-operator cooperation. The plan may involve accepting spent nuclear fuel from other electric power companies. The facility in question, located in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, is currently Japan's only interim spent fuel storage facility situated outside a nuclear power plant site. Under the existing siting agreement, the facility's acceptance scope...

2026-08-08

Carbon isotope analysis reveals: Canadian Arctic seabed sediments can sequester part of permafrost organic carbon

News dated August 3, 2026: Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute and the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen conducted a study on permafrost coasts near Herschel Island (Qikiqtaruk) in Canada, finding that not all terrestrial organic carbon released by Arctic permafrost thaw and coastal erosion enters the atmosphere—a significant portion is instead stored in seabed sediments. The findings have been published in the journal *Nature Geoscience*. Arctic terrestrial permafrost ecosystems store approximately 130 billion tons of carbon from organic sources such as plant debris, while marine and river delta sediments contain an additional 40 billion tons. As Arctic warming accelerates...

2026-08-04

The IAEA says it has not yet received a request to verify nuclear cooperation between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated on July 23 that it is aware of plans by the United States and Saudi Arabia to request the agency to conduct verification activities regarding a nuclear cooperation agreement currently under discussion b

2026-07-27