What is this "Geological disposal that is inseparable from using electricity"?? Outrageous NUMO commercials are being aired on trains
A NUMO commercial started playing on the train monitor
I saw the video above on the JR East train I always take. When I saw the final scrolling text
"Won't you think together about geological disposal, which is inseparable from using electricity?" I thought, Hey! Come on now! 💢💢💢 (Title image) They are supposed to be talking about geological disposal of vitrified waste produced by reprocessing spent nuclear fuel from power plants, so why is it "inseparable from using electricity"?.
On JR East, JR West, JR Kyushu, and Nagoya Metro
This video commercial was created by NUMO (Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan). NUMO is the implementing body for the geological disposal of vitrified waste (high-level radioactive waste). Looking at the website below, it seems this video commercial is being aired on JR East, JR West, JR Kyushu, and Nagoya Metro lines from May 19th to June 1st.
They called it "Electricity Garbage"
Since 2007, the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has been holding workshops called "Let's talk together about electricity garbage" as part of its public relations activities for high-level radioactive waste. It was operated by a civic group called "Genki Net for a Sustainable Society" (Genki Net). The chairperson of this group is Yuko Sakita, who is currently a director at NUMO and a member of various councils for METI, the Ministry of the Environment, and MEXT, and is very active in the nuclear village. The anti-nuclear waste campaign requested that the title "electricity garbage" be changed at the time, but Genki Net did not change the title, claiming that "it is explained in the flyer."
Question Regarding the expression "electricity garbage," you say you are "aware of it" and "giving it consideration," but I think this is still easily misunderstood. For example, I think it should be changed to the expression "nuclear power plant garbage," which produces one-third of our electricity. Please consider this in the future.
Answer As I mentioned last time, it is stated to that effect in the recruitment flyer.
https://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~renge/n2008-7.pdf
At that time, NUMO admitted that the expression "electricity garbage" was strange and said they would not use this expression in the future.
Given this history, it is unacceptable for NUMO to use the misleading expression "geological disposal that is inseparable from using electricity" in their commercial.
NUMO's newspaper advertisement calling for national debate
NUMO is running newspaper advertisements at the same time as the train monitor advertisements. On May 19th, the newspaper advertisement above was published in the Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun, Hokkaido Shimbun, To-o Nippo, Kahoku Shimpo, Ibaraki Shimbun, Shizuoka Shimbun, Chunichi Shimbun, Niigata Nippo, Hokkoku Shimbun, Fukui Shimbun, San-in Chuo Shimpo, Chugoku Shimbun, Ehime Shimbun, Nishinippon Shimbun, Saga Shimbun, and Minaminippon Shimbun—that is, five national newspapers and local papers in municipalities hosting nuclear facilities. Professor Kenichi Oshima (Ryukoku University) points out in the "Environmental Philosophy Channel" (video) that the content of this newspaper advertisement is full of lies. He says that, in the first place, there is no system for national participation in Japan. Indeed!!
NUMO had created a draft for a parliamentary petition
On May 23rd, an article like the one above appeared in the Chugoku Shimbun.
The article states that related parties revealed on the 23rd that the Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan (NUMO) had created a draft petition for the city council and handed it to volunteers from the business community in Masuda City, Shimane Prefecture, who were considering a petition to accept a "literature survey" for a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste (nuclear waste).
Since it is a paid article, I will paste only the last part below.
=In Hokkaido's Suttsu Town and Kamoenai Village, where literature surveys began in 2020, and Saga Prefecture's Genkai Town, where they began in 2024, the governors are all opposed to proceeding to the next stage. Hajime Matsukubo, Secretary General of the Citizens' Nuclear Information Center (Tokyo), speculates, "NUMO desperately wanted to increase the number of municipalities that would accept the literature survey. That is likely why this situation occurred." He criticizes, "NUMO showing that the disposal site project is important in the region through a draft petition could be taken as working behind the scenes, and it is not healthy."
There is also much criticism of the way municipalities are induced into surveys with huge grants and the like. Secretary General Matsukubo appeals, "Can a disposal site be decided with the current method? We should take this opportunity to review the selection process."=
As this article also states, due to the opposition of the Shimane Prefecture Governor and the Mayor of Masuda, it seems that the volunteers from the business community in Masuda City have given up on applying for the high-level radioactive waste literature survey.
The government and the Federation of Electric Power Companies are already at a dead end
In April 1995, the first vitrified high-level waste returned to Japan from France. The government and the Federation of Electric Power Companies promised Aomori Prefecture that "after managing it at the temporary storage facility in Rokkasho Village for the next 30 to 50 years, it will be transported to a final disposal site." They promised that they "would not make Aomori Prefecture a nuclear garbage dump."
However, 30 years later, there are only two places where literature surveys have been completed and one place where a literature survey is underway. It is impossible to think that a final disposal site will be completed and the vitrified waste can be transported out of Rokkasho Village in another 20 years.
The two places where the literature survey has been completed are Kamoenai Village and Suttsu Town in Hokkaido. One is a place with almost no suitable land, and the other is a place that experts say is the least suitable. See the note below for details ↓.
Currently, the literature survey is underway in Genkai Town, Saga Prefecture. Since there are mineral resources underground here, it is marked in silver (gray?!) on the "Scientific Characteristics Map".
The nuclear fuel cycle has collapsed!
The Monju fast breeder reactor has been decommissioned, and the nuclear fuel cycle has collapsed. Also, the UK has decided to dispose of plutonium by vitrification. Regarding the Rokkasho reprocessing plant, which has postponed completion 27 times and never seems to be finished, the government, Japan Nuclear Fuel, and the Federation of Electric Power Companies keep saying "we can do it, we can do it."
Kansai Electric Power is planning to reprocess MOX fuel in France to keep its promise to remove the accumulating spent nuclear fuel from Fukui Prefecture. Aomori Prefecture has expressed that it is not subject to accepting the high-level waste generated by the overseas reprocessing of that MOX fuel.
Kansai Electric Power, the Federation of Electric Power Companies, and the government that approves it are trying to proceed with MOX fuel reprocessing without any prospect of where to accept the returning high-level waste. See the note below for details ↓.
"Think of it as your own problem," they say, but
NUMO says they want us to "think of high-level radioactive waste as our own problem," but it is the nuclear operators themselves who should be thinking seriously about what to do with the nuclear waste that keeps piling up! They close their eyes to reality, chanting "we can do it, we can do it" like a spell, while refusing to review the conventional policy of full reprocessing. NUMO and the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy ignore expert opinions that are inconvenient for them and only publicize what is convenient. I think it is absolutely impossible to restore trust in nuclear power!
First, stop the nuclear power plants and stop the generation of spent nuclear fuel before you call for a national debate!!
=== Bonus: Money talk ===
Where does the money for these advertisements come from, and how much are they paying?
In 2000, the final disposal cost for high-level radioactive waste was estimated at approximately 36 million yen per vitrified waste form, and it was decided that nuclear operators would contribute about 3 trillion yen to dispose of 40,000 units from electricity bills, which would be accumulated by the organization, namely NUMO.
As shown in the document below, the project cost has since ballooned to 4.166 trillion yen, and the unit price has risen more than fivefold to 211.72 million yen per vitrified waste form.
Regarding the revision of final disposal costs and contribution unit prices for specified radioactive waste (December 2024)
https://public-comment.e-gov.go.jp/pcm/download?seqNo=0000284611
Looking at NUMO's 2023 fiscal year income statement, the reversal of contributions was 6.2 billion yen, total expenses were about 6.3 billion yen, and public relations expenses were about 1 billion yen. They are spending one-sixth of their total expenses on advertising.
https://www.numo.or.jp/about_numo/outline/zaimu/2023/pdf/sonekikeisansho_2023.pdf
The accumulated amount of contributions (for vitrified waste = Type 1) was about 60 billion yen for the 2023 fiscal year. The accumulated balance is about 1.2 trillion yen. In order to complete the final disposal site in another 20 years, the remaining approximately 3 trillion yen must be accumulated over 20 years. By simple calculation, that is 150 billion yen per year. It is a system where contributions cannot be collected unless many nuclear power plants are operated!
The final disposal site for high-level vitrified waste is at a dead end, both in terms of time and money.
*1 I saw this train advertisement playing on the monitors inside Tokyo Metro trains again. It seems it will be running until the 22nd.
・Broadcast schedule (train monitors)
・May 19 - June 1: JR East, JR West, JR Kyushu, Nagoya Subway lines
・June 9 - June 22: Tokyo Metro, Osaka Metro lines
(Station vision)
・June 9 - June 22: Major stations of JR Hokkaido, JR East, JR West, JR Kyushu, Sapporo Municipal Subway
・June 9 - June 15: Major stations of Tokyo Metro, Osaka Metro
* For JR Hokkaido and Sapporo Municipal Subway, hanging advertisements inside trains will also be implemented from June 10 to June 23.
* Regarding station vision advertisements and hanging advertisements, the advertisement content will be posted on the following page after the start of publication.