Miyagi Gov't agrees (2)

 August 7, 2014

Miyagi to accept nuclear waste site survey

Aug. 7, 2014 - Updated 14:20 UTC+2

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140807_37.html 

The governor of Miyagi Prefecture has officially agreed to accept governmental surveys to select a candidate site for final disposal of radioactive waste from the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011.

Governor Yoshihiro Murai met Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara on Thursday.

The Environment Ministry plans to conduct field surveys to choose one from among 3 candidate locations in Miyagi Prefecture. On Monday, the governor met the heads of municipalities in the prefecture and decided to accept such surveys.

The governor told Ishihara that he wants the ministry to conduct surveys by considering requests from candidate municipalities and taking measures to prevent harm from rumors over radioactivity.
Ishihara said he will soon visit the municipalities of candidate sites to explain detailed plans before conducting surveys.

The government is planning to build nuclear waste sites in 5 prefectures. Miyagi, north of Fukushima, is the first to accept field surveys.

But it remains uncertain whether the government will be able to gain local approval for a final disposal site because the 3 candidate municipalities in Miyagi are all opposed to the building of such facilities.

Governor Murai said it took a year for his prefecture to agree to the surveys. He added that he hopes the government will do the work in a responsible manner.