Transporting radioactive soil

September 18, 2014

Govt. releases transport plan for tainted soil

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140918_26.html

Sep. 18, 2014 - Updated 09:44 UTC+2

Japan's Environment Ministry has come up with a plan to reduce the possible impact from trucks removing radioactive-contaminated soil produced by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident.

Ministry officials on Thursday showed an experts' panel its basic plan for transporting contaminated soil and other waste to intermediate storage facilities.

Two such facilities will be built in the towns of Futaba and Okuma, near Fukushima Daiichi. Soil and other waste from decontamination efforts in Fukushima Prefecture are to be stored there for up to 30 years before being removed to final disposal sites.

Under the plan, the Environment Ministry will ask local governments to use small- or mid-sized trucks when carrying such waste to designated loading depots.

Then, workers from the central government will reload the waste onto large trucks that will carry it to the intermediate storage facilities.

Ministry officials say this method of switching the size of trucks for transportation will help curb the impact on the environment along the transportation routes because fewer vehicles will be used. They add that the measure will also help reduce the risks of traffic congestion and accidents.

They will discuss the matter with officials of Fukushima Prefecture and related municipalities to decide on a concrete plan.