information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
23 Juin 2014
June 23, 2014
Embattled Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara visited Fukushima Prefecture on June 23 to personally apologize for suggesting last week that buying off locals will pave the way for securing a site to temporarily store radiation-contaminated soil.
Ishihara apologized to prefectural Governor Yuhei Sato and the mayors of Okuma and Futaba, both candidate locations for an intermediate storage facility.
"I would like to deeply apologize for my remarks," Ishihara told Okuma Mayor Toshitsuna Watanabe. "I have caused you much trouble."
Ishihara bowed deeply, together with Shinji Inoue, a senior vice minister, and Parliamentary Vice Minister Tomoko Ukishima, who joined the trip. The meeting was held at Okuma's temporary town hall, set up in Aizu-Wakamatsu.
"It's a fact that our townspeople were not pleased by your remarks, but I will deeply accept your apology you have made in person, in which you have taken responsibility," Watanabe said.
On June 16, Ishihara told reporters after a meeting to update Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on the progress of selecting a site for temporary storage facilities of the soil contaminated in the Fukushima nuclear crisis, "In the end, it will come down to money."
The government has run into difficulties in finding candidate sites, as many residents near the prospective locations have not been persuaded to have such facilities erected in their hometowns.
Ishihara withdrew his statement three days later, but the controversy lingered, as his words left the impression that he believed only throwing enough money at residents in Fukushima Prefecture would resolve the issue.
"Ishihara's words failed to take into consideration the feelings that Fukushima residents have toward their homeland," Sato said on June 17.
The environment minister's statement is sure to cast a shadow over the decision-making by Fukushima residents in accepting the construction of the facility.
When asked about the effect of Ishihara's remarks on the securing of storage sites, Watanabe replied, "It has already been three years (since the nuclear accident) and further delays in the reconstruction process cannot be allowed."
(This article was written by Teru Okumura and Yoshitaka Ito.)
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140623p2g00m0dm027000c.html
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara apologized Monday for a remark suggesting the issue of where to store contaminated soil from the disaster-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was a matter of money.
Ishihara made the apology to Toshitsuna Watanabe, the mayor of the town of Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, one of the candidate sites for the construction of temporary storage facilities for the waste.
On June 16, Ishihara told reporters that protracted negotiations between the central and local governments would ultimately be settled by the "monetary value" of accepting interim storage facilities, such as grants to local authorities hosting them.
He suggested that money would ultimately decide whether local authorities accept the central government's proposal for building facilities in the prefecture to store contaminated soil after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Watanabe told Ishihara in Monday's meeting that many residents of the town were hurt by his remark but that the town would accept his apology, noting that the minister came to Fukushima Prefecture to apologize.
The meeting between the minister and the mayor was held in the city of Aizuwakamatsu in the same prefecture, where the town government has established a temporary municipal government office as residents remain evacuated since the Fukushima Daiichi disaster.
Later on Monday, Ishihara is scheduled to meet with the mayor of Futaba, Shiro Izawa, in the city of Iwaki, also in Fukushima Prefecture, and Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato in the prefectural government office in the prefectural capital Fukushima City. Futaba is another candidate site for the temporary storage facilities.
After Ishihara made the remark, Gov. Sato criticized the minister, saying his comments damaged residents' feelings about their hometowns.
Following the criticism, Ishihara apologized during a news conference Tuesday last week and retracted his comment during a session Thursday of the House of Councillors Environment Committee.
June 23, 2014(Mainichi Japan)
Minister apologizes for nuclear comment
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140623_32.html
Japan's Environment Minister has apologized to Fukushima officials for saying money will determine whether towns in the prefecture agree to store nuclear waste.
Nobuteru Ishihara retracted the comment at a Diet committee.
He was referring to the plan to build medium-term facilities for storing radioactive waste from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.
The government is awaiting approval from the towns of Okuma and Futaba to locate the facilities there.
Ishihara separately met with the mayors of Okuma and Futaba as well as Prefectural Governor Yuhei Sato on Monday.
In his meeting with Sato, the minister offered what he called a heartfelt apology to the people of Fukushima. Ishihara said he deeply regretted his remark.
Governor Sato asked Ishihara to show compassion to residents and quickly respond to their additional requests concerning the building of facilities.
The government wants to obtain approval from the 2 towns and Fukushima prefecture for the construction of the facilities as soon as possible. It hopes to begin sending radioactive waste to facilities there starting in January.
Jun. 23, 2014 - Updated 10:08 UTC
Minister apologizes for nuclear storage comment
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140623_17.html
Japan's environment minister has apologized to a Fukushima mayor for saying money will determine whether towns in the prefecture agree to store nuclear waste.
Nobuteru Ishihara retracted the comment at a Diet committee.
He was referring to the plan to build medium-term facilities for storing radioactive waste from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.
The government is awaiting approval from the towns of Okuma and Futaba to locate the facilities there.
Ishihara met with Okuma Mayor Toshitsuna Watanabe on Monday. He said he had not meant to imply that money could resolve the issue.
The minister offered what he called a heartfelt apology to local residents. He said the facilities are essential to rebuilding the areas affected by the nuclear accident.
The mayor said the minister's remarks offended many people. But he accepted the apology, calling it a significant move to set things right, and he asked Ishihara to show compassion.
Jun. 23, 2014 - Updated 04:48 UTC
Ishihara to apologize for money comment
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140622_18.html
Japan's environment minister will visit Fukushima Prefecture to apologize for the controversial remarks he made about the planned construction of facilities to store contaminated soil.
Ishihara suggested last Monday that payments to local authorities would ultimately settle the issue of where to store the contaminated soil that accumulated after the nuclear accident in 2011.
He apologized and retracted the remarks during an Upper House committee session on Thursday.
Ishihara will visit Fukushima Prefecture on Monday to apologize to Governor Yuhei Sato and the mayors of Futaba and Okuma, the 2 towns where the government plans to build intermediate storage facilities.
Sato and other officials criticized Ishihara's comments, saying they ignored the feelings of the people of Fukushima.
The government is aiming to build the storage facilities with the agreement of the prefecture and the towns, and will start bringing in contaminated soil in January.
Jun. 23, 2014 - Updated 00:17 UTC
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