information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
23 Mai 2015
May 22, 2015
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150522_19.html
May 22, 2015 - Updated 07:46 UTC+2
The biggest challenge facing nuclear power generation is said to be the disposal of nuclear waste.
When spent nuclear fuel is processed to remove plutonium, the resulting liquid substance is hardened by mixing it with glass. This is called nuclear waste.
Nuclear waste gives off strong radiation, which could kill a person in about 10 seconds. It takes tens of thousands of years for such radiation to drop to safe levels.
The government enacted a law on nuclear waste disposal in 2000, and has been asking municipalities since 2002 for candidate sites for disposal facilities.
But no municipalities have volunteered, so the government has decided to select candidate locations from a scientific perspective.
About 2,500 units of nuclear waste from power plants in Japan are now stored in a facility at Rokkasho Village in Aomori Prefecture. In addition, nuclear plants across the country are storing spent fuel equivalent to about 25,000 units of nuclear waste.
None of the 43 reactors in Japan is currently online in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima accident. Storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel at some power plants could fill up as rapidly as about 3 years if operations resume.
Municipalities that host nuclear power plants are worried that spent fuel will continue to be stored at the plants if no disposal sites are built.
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150522_18.html
May 22, 2015 - Updated 05:12 UTC+2
The Japanese government has decided on a new basic policy for the disposal of highly radioactive waste from nuclear power plants. It features a greater commitment by the government to select disposal sites.
The policy, revised for the first time in 7 years, was approved at a Cabinet meeting on Friday.
The government plans to bury high-level radioactive waste from nuclear plants at a depth of 300 meters or more in final disposal facilities. But the efforts to solicit candidate sites have made no progress in the past 13 years, due to strong safety concerns.
The new basic policy says the government will name suitable candidate sites for the final disposal facilities and will seek the cooperation of the relevant local authorities.
In an attempt to dispel public misgivings, the policy stipulates that the waste could be retrieved even after final disposal in the event of a change in government policy or other circumstances.
The relevant ministers have confirmed that the government will work to win the understanding of the public and local governments for the policy.
They also decided to draw up an action plan to set up interim storage facilities designed to store highly radioactive waste until the final disposal is carried out.
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoichi Miyazawa told reporters after the Cabinet meeting that the government will proceed steadily, starting with efforts to win the understanding of the public and local authorities for the candidate sites. He said no deadline will be set for reaching a conclusion.
The government plans to hold town meetings with residents and briefings for local authorities across the nation, but it faces the grave challenge of dispelling deep-rooted safety concerns.
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