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.