information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
23 Août 2014
August 23, 2014
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201408230037
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
Fukushima Prefecture is set to accept the construction of an interim facility to store radioactive waste from cleanup work due to the nuclear disaster, advancing the stalled process of decontaminating the affected areas.
The prefectural government has decided to shoulder the difference between the appraised value of land in Okuma and Futaba, where the structure will be built, and the price it would have fetched before the 2011 accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The decision came after landowners insisted that the land should be bought at a fair market value because the current appraisals are much lower than pre-disaster estimates.
Consent from local governments is expected to move forward the central government’s plan to start transporting radioactive soil and other contaminated waste to the storage site in January.
Okuma and Futaba host the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The residents of the two towns are still living as evacuees due to high levels of radiation in their hometowns.
Talks between local officials and the central government over the planned facility reached an impasse after Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara enraged landowners with a comment in June.
“In the end, it will come down to money,” Ishihara said, referring to efforts to gain local approval for the storage facilities. Residents were angry because of the implication they could be easily bought.
The stalemate threatened to jeopardize the entire decontamination operation in the prefecture since the storage site is indispensable to advance the work to clean up and rebuild the affected communities.
In an effort to break the stalemate, the central government on Aug. 8 offered to double the funds to be provided to the local governments to 301 billion yen ($2.9 billion).
The remaining hurdle was how to shoulder the difference between the appraisal prices before and after the nuclear disaster to meet the landowners' request.
Central and local government officials wanted the matter settled by Sept. 3, when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to announce a new Cabinet lineup.
There is a growing speculation that Ishihara will be replaced in the reshuffle, due in part to his controversial remarks.
A senior Environment Ministry official apparently thought that Ishihara’s departure would mean a delay of at least a month in negotiations. A new central government team needs to be briefed on the background and current status of the project before picking up where Ishihara left off.
The prefectural government decided to settle the talks ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle by picking up the tab for the difference in land appraisal rather than pushing for an additional offer from the central government.
“It will be difficult for us to get further concessions from the central government,” a prefectural official said. “Starting the talks all over again is also totally unacceptable.”
Officials of Okuma and Futaba welcomed the prefectural government’s decision to pay the difference from its own coffers.
Fukushima Governor Yuhei Sato is expected to meet the mayors on Aug. 25 to formally convey the decision.
The prefectural government is likely to officially announce its acceptance of the construction of the interim storage facility by Sept. 2.
The central government is set to enter negotiations with landowners as early as next month over the purchase.
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140823p2a00m0na005000c.html
The Fukushima Prefectural Government is set to allow interim storage facilities for radioactive waste from the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant disaster to be built in two towns in the prefecture, as long as it can reach a payment deal with them.
Contaminated soil has been sitting at temporary storage sites, getting in the way of decontamination work and recovery efforts. To alleviate this problem, the national government is aiming to have interim storage facilities built and operating from January next year.
The central government has earmarked the Fukushima Prefecture towns of Futaba and Okuma as candidate sites for midterm storage facilities, but the municipalities have been at odds with the national government over the price of land.
The national government has indicated that it will base its payment for land on post-nuclear disaster prices. The Futaba and Okuma municipal governments, however, want the prices to be based on pre-disaster levels.
Since the national government has already made concessions for land owners who don't want to give up their land, saying it will allow them to rent out the land, the prefectural government has judged that it cannot expect any further concessions from the national government on the land payment issue. The prefectural government therefore hopes to reach an agreement with the municipalities by covering the extra amount they are seeking.
On Aug. 25, the prefectural government intends to talk to the municipal governments about its plan to cover the difference between what they are demanding and what the central government is willing to pay. Meanwhile, meetings at the municipal assemblies of both towns have been slated for Aug. 26, with Minister of the Environment Nobuteru Ishihara due to attend. Officials are expected to outline an offer of 301 billion yen in aid from the national government, and discuss the prefectural government's plan to cover the extra amount the towns are requesting.
If the prefectural government secures agreements from the two municipal governments, it will give the national government the OK to move forward on constructing the facilities. Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato is aiming to seal an agreement before the next Cabinet reshuffle, scheduled for Sept. 3.
August 23, 2014(Mainichi Japan)
JIJI
FUKUSHIMA – The Fukushima Prefectural Government will accept a central government plan as early as next week to construct an interim facility for storing soil tainted with radioactive fallout from Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, informed sources said Friday.
On Tuesday the central and prefectural governments plan to explain to the towns of Okuma and Futaba measures aimed at reviving their economies and ways to acquire land for the storage building. The two towns are candidates to host the facility.
After winning support for the plan from representatives of the two municipalities and residents, the Fukushima government will officially announce its decision to accept the storage construction, the sources said.
The prefecture wants to push forward talks on the matter among parties concerned before Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s planned Cabinet reshuffle on Sept. 3, in which Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara, who is in charge of the soil storage issue, is expected to be replaced, they added.
In January the government hopes to start storing soil collected during work to decontaminate areas affected by the nuclear accident at the power plant triggered by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
But the possibility cannot be ruled out that the start of the storage operation will be delayed because negotiations on land acquisition prices with owners will not be easy, the sources pointed out.
The central government plans to provide a total of ¥301 billion in subsidies to the prefectural and host municipal governments.
August 22, 2014
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140822_23.html
Aug. 22, 2014 - Updated 12:34 UTC+2
The assemblies of 2 towns in Fukushima Prefecture have decided to hear from the central government about recreating living conditions using a proposed subsidy. The funds are linked to the construction of temporary storage facilities for radioactive waste in those towns.
The government plans to build facilities in Futaba and Okuma towns for storing radioactive waste generated by the decontamination effort at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The 2 towns host the nuclear plant, which was damaged by the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
On August 8, the government told Fukushima Prefecture and its municipalities that it would pay them a total of 301 billion yen, or about 3 billion dollars, if they consent to the construction of temporary storage facilities.
The central government has already explained about the plan to the prefectural assembly.
The sources say the Futaba and Okuma assemblies decided to hold conferences next Tuesday to hear the government explain about the subsidy.
And next Wednesday the government is to provide explanations for representatives of the towns' residents at 2 locations in Fukushima Prefecture.
Senior officials of the Environment Ministry are to attend these sessions to explain how the subsidy would be used to help recreate living conditions, including child care and support for people looking for work, and to maintain residents' ties with their hometowns.
Fukushima Prefecture and the two towns are expected to make the final decision based on reactions from their assemblies and residents.
The decision is likely to come by the time Prime Minister Shinzo Abe conducts his planned cabinet reshuffle on September 3.
August 18, 2014
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html
Aug. 18, 2014 - Updated 11:24 UTC+2
The mayor of Shioya, in Tochigi Prefecture north of Tokyo, has demanded that the government retract its plan to build a permanent radioactive waste storage site in his town.
The Environment Ministry is seeking to construct facilities in 5 prefectures within the Tokyo metropolitan area and northern Japan. The facilities will permanently hold sewage sludge, incinerated ash, and other debris contaminated with more than 8,000 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive materials. The highly radioactive waste was incurred by the nuclear accident in Fukushima in March 2011.
Last month, the ministry decided to use state-owned land in Shioya to build one of the facilities. The ministry wants the town's cooperation in field surveys in the area. But the town is opposed to the construction.
Town Mayor Kazuhisa Mikata and the speaker of the local assembly visited the ministry on Monday.
They submitted in writing concerns over the storage facility, saying it will have a negative effect on the town's natural water resources and agricultural products. They said local produce will be hit hard by rumors concerning food safety.
Senior Vice Environment Minister Shinji Inoue said the facilities are desperately needed. He said the ministry is ready to explain the plan to the town.
Mayor Mikata later told reporters the government must provide explanations why the Shioya site was chosen before detailed inspections were made.
An expert panel set up by Tochigi Prefecture will meet on Wednesday to examine the process used by the government to select the location.
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