Preliminary Application for Nuclear Power Plant until Today

The government decided to accept preliminary applications from local autonomous bodies until today, hoping to attract nuclear waste storage facilities. The anti-nuke organization, comprised of the ruling Uri Party and 44 civic groups, agreed with the government to form a consultative body.

Jo Seok of the Nuclear Power Industry Division at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said on September 14 that the ministry will decide whether or not to accept the Uri Party’s arbitration after the preliminary application concludes. The Uri Party demanded all business regarding the selection of the nuclear waste storage site to cease, and hand over the matter to the consultative body.

Therefore, the schedule for choosing the nuclear disposal site will be determined after the due date for the preliminary application, September 15.

If at least one local autonomous body applies in advance for the disposal site, the original schedule for selecting the nuclear waste storage facility will go as planned.

However, if there turns out to be no application, the next step will depend on the government’s decision on whether or not to accept the arbitration prepared by the Uri Party.

If the government decides to accept the arbitration, the original plan will be scotched. If not, the government will put the case to a residential vote before late November in Buan County in South Jeolla Province, which is believed to have completed the preliminary application procedure last year.

With just one day remaining until the deadline, it is reported that the seven municipal governments that have already filed petitions, including Gochang, North Jeolla Province, do not have any intentions to go through the preliminary application procedure as of September 14.

Jong sik Kong kong@donga.com