1 trillion yen of taxpayer money for decontamination

 November 2, 2013

Gov't to spend 1 trillion yen in public funds for Fukushima decontamination

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20131102p2g00m0dm065000c.html

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The government plans to use public funds for part of the activities to clean up the radiation-contaminated areas outside the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in a major policy shift, with the total sum likely to top 1 trillion yen, sources close to the matter said Friday.

The plan to alleviate the financial burden Tokyo Electric Power Co. was supposed to face is in line with a ruling Liberal Democratic Party proposal compiled a day before on ways to accelerate the sluggish recovery from one of the world's worst nuclear crises.

Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. is still expected to pay up to some 3 trillion yen because the government has no intention to exempt the utility from decontamination cost payments the state and local governments have already planned.

The state, for its part, plans to use public funds to respond to additional decontamination needs for infrastructure restoration, such as cleaning schools, parks and other public facilities that have been left without maintenance after residents fled from their homes.

It will also use funds to build interim storage facilities to keep radioactive soil and other waste created in the cleanup efforts.

The Environment Ministry has earmarked a total of 1.5 trillion yen for costs related to decontamination activities through fiscal 2013 ending next March and asked TEPCO to pay 40 billion yen of the funds it has so far used.

But the utility has only paid back 6.7 billion yen, citing delays in clerical work and the utility's tough business conditions.

TEPCO is struggling due to increase in fuel imports for boosting thermal power generation to make up for the loss of nuclear power. It also needs funds to compensate people and companies affected by the crisis as well as to scrap the crippled reactors at the Fukushima plant.

State to spend over ¥1 trillion of taxpayer money for Fukushima decontamination work

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/11/02/national/state-to-spend-over-%C2%A51-trillion-of-taxpayer-money-for-fukushima-decontamination-work/#.UnVOY1OwT9k

Kyodo

In a major policy shift, the government will use more than ¥1 trillion in public funds to clean up contaminated areas around the Fukushima No. 1 plant, according to sources[….]