Listen to locals, says Governor

November 17, 2014

Fukushima chief urges govt. to respect local voice

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20141117_26.html

Nov. 17, 2014 - Updated 10:01 UTC+1

The Fukushima governor has asked the government to give a thorough explanation before bringing in radioactive soil and other waste to storage facilities within the prefecture.

Governor Masao Uchibori met Environmental Minister Yoshio Mochiduki on Monday for the first time since he assumed the prefecture's top post last month.

They discussed the government plan to bring contaminated fallout from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster to sites in the prefecture starting in January.

Okuma and Futaba towns near the crippled plant are to host the intermediate storage facilities.

Environmental minister Mochiduki called for understanding from locals over the operation of the facilities, saying there would be many difficult issues.

Governor Uchibori stressed the need for close communications between the government, the prefecture, municipalities and landowners of the sites where the facilities will be located.

The government hopes to draw up a transportation plan by year-end and start bringing in the radioactive waste to the facilities as scheduled.

But it remains unclear whether the government can stick with the schedule. Negotiations with landowners are making slow progress.