DECISIVE FACTORS OF THE DISPUTE REGARDING HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE REPOSITORY SITING AT TOYO-CHO, KOCHI, JAPAN

AN ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL PROCESS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Abstract

Between 2006 and 2007, Toyo-cho, Kochi experienced a serious antagonism among citizens caused by the dispute regarding the decision making of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository siting. In order to avoid such an antagonism in future candidate municipalities, decisive factor(s) of the dispute, especially unavoidable one(s) under the "voluntary-base" siting policy, must be analyzed. Based on our political process analysis, causal analysis and scenario analysis, it has been found that the "voluntary-base" siting policy cannot avoid the decisive factor that a voluntary application disables an applicant municipality from refuting the opposing movement criticizing "application for money".