The local assembly in southwestern Japan's Genkai Town has adopted a petition calling for a first-stage survey to be conducted to determine whether a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants can be built in the town.

The petition was adopted on Friday. Genkai town is located in Saga Prefecture. It hosts a nuclear power plant that is operated by Kyushu Electric Power Company.

Of all the local legislatures in Japanese towns and cities that host nuclear power plants, Genkai's assembly has become the first to approve a petition in favor of a first-stage waste site survey.

During the first stage of the survey, reference materials and other data will be examined. The examiners want to find out whether it would be feasible for the town to host a disposal site.

The mayor has the final say on whether to allow the survey to be conducted.

Genkai Mayor Wakiyama Shintaro has suggested that he will express his position early next month, after the national holiday period.