A town assembly in western Japan has effectively approved a petition for a first-stage survey to select a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste.

The assembly in the town of Genkai, Saga Prefecture, convened an ad-hoc committee on Thursday to examine the petition submitted by three local groups.

Japanese law requires high-level radioactive waste from nuclear plants to be buried more than 300 meters underground.

The law also requires surveys to be carried out in three stages to select possible final disposal sites.

At Thursday's meeting, some committee members said the application for a first-stage survey is intended to promote nationwide discussion and the issue of whether to accept a final disposal site should not be discussed at this point. Others expressed concern that the town could become the subject of rumors.

The petition was put to a vote and was approved by a majority vote with six members in favor and three against.

The petition is expected to be approved and adopted in a plenary session on Friday.

The town's mayor will make the final decision on whether to accept a first-stage survey.

The town hosts the Genkai nuclear power plant that is operated by Kyushu Electric Power Company.

If the petition is adopted, it would be the first decision of its kind by the assembly of a municipality hosting a nuclear power station.

In February, a draft report concluded that two municipalities in Hokkaido, northern Japan, could proceed to the second stage after a first-stage survey was conducted for the first time in the country.

But some residents of the two municipalities are calling for similar surveys to be conducted outside Hokkaido.