Candidates in favor of advancing a survey to select a nuclear waste disposal site have won a majority in a town assembly election in Hokkaido, northern Japan.

Twelve candidates ran for nine seats in Tuesday's town assembly election in Suttsu. Five candidates who back the survey won seats.

Suttsu is one of the two places in Japan where the government is conducting the first part of a three-stage survey, which is an assessment of the area based on scientific literature.

The other is the village of Kamoenai, also in Hokkaido.

The assembly is not directly involved in the selection process. But the pro-survey members are likely to support Mayor Kataoka Haruo who is eager to advance to the second stage.

Town authorities have said they will hold a referendum before advancing to the second stage that will involve drilling to learn more about local geological features.

A law requires the final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste from nuclear plants to be buried more than 300 meters underground.

Municipalities that accept the first-stage survey are eligible for state subsidies of up to 2 billion yen, or about 14 million dollars.