The Minister of the Environment's Opinions on the Draft of the Environmental Impact Statement for the Onahama Thermal Power Station (Tentative Name).

On May 26, 2009, the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) submitted the Minister's opinions on the draft of the environmental impact statement for the Onahama thermal power station (tentative name) to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in accordance with the provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment Law and the Electric Utility Law.

Said project is to build a new thermal power station (0.4 million kW). It will lead to a heavy increase in emissions of CO2 after operation begins in 2012. Therefore, careful consideration is needed in the view of the "Kyoto Protocol Target Achievement Plan" and the "Action Plan for Achieving a Low-Carbon Society".

Taking these issues into consideration totally, the Minister's opinions were summarized as follows: This project does not take measures to reduce CO2 emissions as much as possible. Since there is no framework to reduce the basic unit of CO2 emissions from all electric utilities, it could be an obstacle for the "Kyoto Protocol Target Achievement Plan" and the reduction of CO2 emissions in the long term afterwards. Therefore, this project contains some problems for global warming, and it is difficult to approve.

The opinion also stated requests for the METI to take measures as follows: Build a framework for the reduction of the basic unit of CO2 emissions from all electric utilities as soon as possible. Reveal a vision of power source composition which could achieve the long term target. Demand that any coal-fired power station projects here after reduce CO2 emissions, with the best available technologies, as much as possible.

Request Power Producer and Suppliers to raise the current target of their Voluntary Action Plan.

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