Government asks city of Hitachiomiya to accept nuclear waste site survey

Japan's industry ministry formally requested on Monday that the city of Hitachiomiya in Ibaraki Prefecture accept a preliminary survey to determine its suitability as a nuclear waste disposal site. The proposed project involves burying solidified high-level radioactive waste more than 300 meters underground.

If the city agrees to the government's request, Hitachiomiya would become the fifth location in Japan to undergo such an assessment. The initiative is part of a broader national effort to establish long-term disposal solutions for liquid waste generated during the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.