Mihama Mayor Hideki Toshima on Monday indicated his willingness to accept Kansai Electric Power Co.'s planned survey for building a new reactor at its Mihama nuclear power plant in the central Japan town.
At a meeting with senior officials of Kansai Electric, Toshima said that the town would accept the survey with the understanding of local communities.
While the survey does not require the town's prior consent, the mayor requested that Kansai Electric continue to carefully explain the details of its survey plan.
"Town residents' consensus is that they want any plans to proceed while placing the top priority on safety," he emphasized.
In response, Hitoshi Mizuta, head of Kansai Electric's nuclear operations headquarters, vowed to move forward while securing the understanding of local residents.
Last month, Kansai Electric announced that it would conduct a geomorphic and geological survey inside and outside the Mihama plant site to evaluate the feasibility of building a next-generation reactor.
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