information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
25 Février 2015
February 25, 2015
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150225p2g00m0dm039000c.html
FUKUSHIMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The Fukushima prefectural government approved on Tuesday the delivery of radioactively contaminated soil and other waste, generated during cleanup work after the 2011 nuclear crisis, to interim storage facilities currently under construction in the prefecture.
To help accelerate the decontamination activities, the central government is seeking to begin moving radioactive waste to the interim storage sites by March 11, the fourth anniversary of the earthquake-tsunami calamity that triggered the world's worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
Work to build a makeshift storage yard at the facilities began earlier in February, but Fukushima Gov. Masao Uchibori had yet to approve the delivery, saying decisions on the facility construction and delivery of the radioactive waste are two separate issues.
Uchibori's announcement came after he discussed the issue with the mayors of Futaba and Okuma towns, host communities of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi complex and the planned interim storage. Uchibori said he will convey the decision to the central government on Wednesday.
In accepting the delivery, Fukushima demanded the central government legislate that the contaminated soil will be permanently disposed of outside the prefecture within 30 years and have a safety agreement, among other requests. The legislation was enacted last November.
Uchibori is set to meet with Environment Minister Yoshio Mochizuki and Reconstruction Minister Wataru Takeshita in the city of Fukushima on Wednesday and sign the safety agreement.
The central government had planned to begin moving radioactive soil in January, but the process was delayed due to difficulties in obtaining agreement from the local municipalities and residents.
The facilities are planned on around 16 square kilometers of land in Okuma and Futaba. They are expected to be capable of storing 30 million tons of soil and other radioactive waste, such as burned ash, but they are not for storing highly radioactive waste generated in the crippled plant.
Negotiations with landowners, however, have seen slow progress so far.
JIJI
FUKUSHIMA – Fukushima Gov. Masao Uchibori said Tuesday he will allow the transfer of radioactive soil to a provisional site in the prefecture.
The provisional site is part of a planned interim storage facility for soil and other radioactive waste from decontamination work in the prefecture following the nuclear disaster at Tepco’s Fukushima No. 1 power plant.
Uchibori told reporters he made the decision to get the ball rolling on decontamination work and disposal of the tainted soil, even though the owners of the land being used for the storage site have to bear a heavy burden.
He said he believes the central government has largely met five conditions requested by the prefecture as a prerequisite for accepting the transfer of such soil.
The prefectural government plans to ask the central government to proceed with the soil transfer in a careful manner by taking into account the sentiment of the landowners.
Uchibori conveyed his decision to the mayors of Okuma and Futaba, which will host the interim storage facility, as well as leaders of six neighboring municipalities during a meeting held in the city of Fukushima, the prefectural capital.
The prefectural government put forward the five conditions last August for allowing the transfer of soil to the site, including safety measures for the site and soil transportation and the conclusion of a safety agreement between the Environment Ministry and local governments.
Okuma and Futaba plan to accept the soil on condition that the ministry revise its draft safety agreement over a monitoring system after the construction of the facility.
Uchibori planned to explain his decision and request revisions to the draft in a meeting in his office on Wednesday with Environment Minister Yoshio Mochizuki and reconstruction minister Wataru Takeshita.
The storage facility will be built in an area covering 16 sq. km straddling Okuma and Futaba.
The Environment Ministry began work on Feb. 3 to build the storage site with the aim of beginning delivery of contaminated soil by March 11, which will mark the fourth anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that caused the nuclear disaster.
The central government plans to complete final disposal of the contaminated soil at a site outside Fukushima Prefecture within 30 years.
February 25, 2015(Mainichi Japan)
February 24, 2015
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150224_90.html
Feb. 24, 2015 - Updated 12:40 UTC+1
The governor of Fukushima Prefecture has given the go-ahead to transporting radioactively contaminated soil to an intermediate storage facility there.
The government began building the facility this month in an area straddling the towns of Futaba and Okuma.
Carrying in soil and debris from decontamination is set to begin by March 11th -- the fourth anniversary of the earthquake that triggered the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Governor Masao Uchibori met with the mayors of the towns on Tuesday after receiving the central government's response to 5 conditions they set for transporting to the facility materials contaminated due to the disaster.
The conditions include safety agreements with local municipalities and measures to ensure safety during transport.
Uchibori told the mayors that he made the difficult decision to allow the materials to be carried into the facility to speed up decontamination and recovery of the environment.
The mayors agreed that local needs have been understood. But they asked for more explanation for landowners and that the materials eventually be disposed of outside the prefecture.
Uchibori plans to convey his decision to the central government on Wednesday. A schedule for the transport has yet to be negotiated.
Okuma Mayor Toshitsuna Watanabe said that allowing the transportation of radioactive waste to an intermediate storage facility in his town was a difficult but necessary decision.
But the mayor of the other town designated to hold the waste, Futaba, gave preconditions for accepting the proposal. Mayor Shiro Izawa stated that he has requested revisions of 2 articles in the national safety measures.
Izawa said that he will likely agree to take the radioactive materials if the revisions are made, but that he cannot provide further comment at this time.
Later Futaba Mayor Izawa told reporters that he wants the central government to partially revise its draft safety agreement and allow more townspeople on a committee to monitor the facility.
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