information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
18 Février 2012
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20120217p2a00m0na019000c.html
Only 10 prefectural governments are actively considering accepting rubble from earthquake- and tsunami-ravaged areas of northeastern Honshu, while 26 others are unwilling, a Mainichi Shimbun survey has found.
The Mainichi surveyed 43 prefectural governments across the country -- excluding disaster-hit Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures, and Okinawa Prefecture, which has not been asked by the national government to accept rubble -- between late January and early February.
The 10 prefectural governments responded that they have asked municipalities under their jurisdiction as well as private companies to accept and dispose of rubble from Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures. Of them, Aomori and Yamagata prefectures as well as Tokyo have already accepted rubble generated by the quake and tsunami.
Five of the 10 prefectural governments -- Akita, Saitama, Kanagawa, Shizuoka and Osaka -- have taken specific measures to dispose of rubble, such as setting maximum levels of radioactive substances in rubble they will accept. Seven others answered that they are considering such measures.
Thirteen other prefectural governments replied that they are not even considering asking municipalities under their jurisdiction or businesses to dispose of rubble generated by the disasters.
The number rises to 26 if those that are only reluctantly considering accepting rubble are included. One of them, the Kagoshima Prefectural Government, said, "We're cooperating in efforts to dispose of rubble by transferring relevant documents supplied by the national government to municipalities under our jurisdiction. But we're not actively asking them to accept rubble."
Garbage containing up to 100 becquerels of radiation per kilogram is legally treated as ordinary waste instead of radioactive waste. Following the March 11, 2011 disasters, however, the national government released guidelines which state that waste incinerator ash contaminated with up to 8,000 becquerels of radiation can be buried.
Many of the prefectural governments that are reluctant to accept quake debris are skeptical of the safety of rubble tainted with radioactive substances from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
"It's questionable whether the national government's standards can guarantee safety. We can't win understanding from local residents, which is a stumbling block to accepting quake rubble," the Nagano Prefectural Government pointed out.
"We'd like the central governments to clearly explain why there are different standards for handling radioactive substances," the Fukui Prefectural Government said.
In October last year, the Environment Ministry asked the 43 prefectures to accept 3.95 million metric tons out of approximately 20 million tons of disaster rubble from Iwate and Miyagi prefectures -- one pillar of an effort to ensure the entire amount is disposed of by 2014.
Five prefectures -- the three prefectures that have already begun to accept quake rubble along with Kanagawa and Saitama, which have specific plans to accept the waste -- are expected to dispose of some 710,000 tons of rubble total, including amounts already processed. The volume accounts for approximately 18 percent of the rubble that the national government has asked the 43 prefectures to deal with.
A disposal facility in Shimada, Shizuoka Prefecture, began on Feb. 16 to incinerate debris from the Iwate Prefecture town of Yamada on a trial basis.
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