A public opinion survey conducted on Hokkaido Electric Power Company’s Tomari Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 revealed that 40% of respondents consider the evacuation plan in case of an accident to be insufficient, while 31% believe it is adequate. Over half of the respondents cited “the possibility of evacuation routes being cut off by earthquakes or tsunamis” as their primary concern. The effectiveness of the evacuation plan also influences local approval for restarting the plant. Addressing the challenge of responding to a compound disaster involving both natural disasters and a nuclear accident remains a critical issue.

Hokkaido Electric Power Company’s Tomari Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3

The Tomari Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 is a nuclear reactor located in Tomari, Hokkaido, Japan. It was the last of Japan’s 50+ reactors to be taken offline following the 2011 Fukushima disaster, and it has remained shut down since May 2012. Despite receiving regulatory approval to restart, it has not resumed operations due to local opposition and the high costs associated with implementing new safety requirements.