Koizumi Environment Minister Meeting with the Governor of Fukushima Prefecture “All the power to keep promised” September 12 19:03
Minister Koizumi, who assumed office on the 11th, visited Fukushima Prefecture in the afternoon of the 12th to meet with Governor Uchibori, and `` I would like to do everything to bring it safely to the intermediate storage facility such as soil that was decontaminated. '' I said.
Koizumi Environment Minister arrived at the Fukushima prefectural office around 4pm on the 12th and met with Governor Uchibori.
In this, Governor Uchibori said about the intermediate storage facility for storing the soil that came out of the decontamination. “It was a difficult decision to accept the facility in the prefecture. But this is a promise with the country. "
In response, Minister Koizumi said, “We will do our best to keep our promises. First, we will make sure that waste can be transported safely, and we will visit the intermediate storage facility and greet the local community next week.” I emphasized that I would like to work with local governments.
The government says that the waste brought into the intermediate storage facility will be transported out of the prefecture by 2045 for final disposal, but where the final disposal site will be is not decided.
After the meeting, Mr. Koizumi said, “First of all, we will realize the prefectural citizens' desire to safely bring waste into the intermediate storage facility, and proceed with reconstruction with the governor and the prefectural citizens.”
In Fukushima Prefecture, where the nuclear accident occurred, there is still a big issue that the Ministry of the Environment must address how to dispose of a large amount of waste such as soil from decontamination.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, about 14 million cubic meters of waste, such as soil and vegetation, produced by decontamination in Fukushima Prefecture, excluding areas where it is difficult to return.
After being “stored on-site” at a place close to the residents, such as the garden of a house, a parking lot, and the grounds of a school or park, they are collected in a temporary storage area and then transported to an intermediate storage facility.
The Ministry of the Environment says that it will be transported to the intermediate storage facility by March 2022, but the facility is still under construction and is not yet complete.
As of the 5th of this month, only 4 million cubic meters were brought into the interim storage facility, only 28% of the planned amount.
Even after being transported to an intermediate storage facility, challenges remain. Ministry of the Environment has been established by law to final disposal in outside the prefecture by Hakobidashi waste from the intermediate storage facility to up to 2045 years, where to the location of the final disposal, the prospect does not have standing.
In addition, the Ministry of the Environment has shown a policy to recycle the soil whose radioactive material concentration falls below a certain standard in order to reduce the amount of final disposal, such as public works nationwide such as road maintenance.