Possible Decommissioning
On 21 October 2011 the Japanese government installed a commission to study ways to cut wasteful expenditures, one possibility would be decommissioning the Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor. The Government Revitalization Unit took up this issue, because the calls to abolish this reactor were growing after the nuclear crisis in Fukushima. As the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant made it difficult, if not impossible, to build new nuclear power plants, the government panel would also review subsidies for localities with atomic power plants as well as functions of related entities such as the Japan Atomic Energy Agency
On 27 November nuclear disaster minister Goshi Hosono said that scrapping the Monju-fast-breeder reactor is an option, that will be given serious thought. The remark was made after a visit to the plant. Politicians and private-sector experts of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan made proposals for a thorough operational and budgetary review in the government's energy policy screening session earlier in the week before his visit.
Hosono said: "There are various opinions and (the government) should consider them including such a possibility. The long-running Monju program has come to a "crossroad."
At the same time a committee of the House of Representatives was planning to demand in December 2011 a review of the Monju-program.
Read more about this topic: Monju Nuclear Power Plant