The Ministry of the Environment will explain to people all over the country and listen to their opinions while the policy of final disposal of waste generated by decontamination after the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is not fully known outside Fukushima Prefecture. We held a rally for the first time.
The Ministry of the Environment says that the soil and waste generated by decontamination in Fukushima Prefecture will be generally completed by March next year at the interim storage facility constructed around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
The law stipulates that such waste should be finally disposed of outside Fukushima Prefecture by 2045, but discussions have not progressed on the disposal site, etc., and a survey conducted by the Ministry of the Environment last year adopted this policy in Fukushima. Only about 20% of people know outside the prefecture.
Under these circumstances, the Ministry of the Environment held the first online rally on the 23rd to explain to people all over the country and listen to their opinions.
Participants asked questions about the reasons for carrying them out of Fukushima Prefecture and their safety, and Minister of the Environment Koizumi, who participated, said, "Given that the electricity produced by the nuclear power plant was also used by people in the Greater Tokyo Area, It cannot be positioned as a problem only for Fukushima. I would like to work on fostering understanding while accepting the criticism that "Why go out?"
The rally on the 23rd was held online due to the influence of the new coronavirus, but the Ministry of the Environment plans to hold rally all over the country in the future.
We will respond to opinions on recycling in the future
The Ministry of the Environment is aiming to recycle the soil produced by decontamination whose concentration of radioactive substances has decreased in public works projects nationwide and reduce the amount of final disposal. Was also explained.
In Iitate Village, Fukushima Prefecture, flowers and vegetables are cultivated on a trial basis after covering the soil produced by decontamination with ordinary soil, and the concentration of radioactive substances in all crops is below the national standard.
At the rally on the 23rd, Minister Koizumi said, "We started growing flowers, and now we are working on growing vegetables with the voice of the locals. If so, I would like to discuss whether we can move forward. "
Participants in the rally commented, "Can it be used for embankment construction?" Or "Should we hold a public hearing?", But there was no detailed discussion on the 23rd.
The Ministry of the Environment says, "I would like to answer opinions and questions that were not taken up today in an appropriate manner in the future."
Expert "Discuss with diverse opinions"
Professor Emeritus Yayoi Isono of Tokyo Keizai University, who was familiar with decontamination and environmental policy, watched the rally on the 23rd online. Just saying "Let's go" does not discuss what is the problem or what the participants are worried about, and this does not mean that we have conducted risk communication. I point out.
Ten years have passed since the nuclear accident, but this is the first time that the Ministry of the Environment has held a rally for people nationwide like this time, and Professor Emeritus Isono said, "Until the final disposal deadline of 2045. I would like the Ministry of the Environment to properly discuss responsibilities and risks with various stakeholders and people with diverse opinions, and to show concrete policies. "