Gov't to test safety of burying radioactive soil in spring

"Test"? Thanks for the list of cities. I now know where not to go from this spring.

A total of 56 municipalities in seven prefectures -- Iwate, Miyagi, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama and Chiba -- have completed their cleanup work with financial support from the central government.

They mean; ....with financial support from the tax payers. Also, let's not forget that the government has 51% control of TEPCO.

One more point; All those cities required clean up? As far as Saitama and Chiba? Just how far did the radiation go?

"It took time to conduct (the project) but it's good," said an official in Tokai, adding local residents have been increasingly asking for removal of the soil waste from a park.

sheeez.. the conflict in this sentence pretty much showcases a bureaucratic tone deaf stance and the plight of Tohoku & Fukushima residents

A total of 56 municipalities in seven prefectures -- Iwate, Miyagi, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama and Chiba -- have completed their cleanup work with financial support from the central government.

I don't think this has anything to do with radiation(correct me if I am wrong), sounds like general cleanup of areas damaged by the quake & tsunami....

As for the spreading& burying of nuclear waste around the country, what was that word ..... oh yeah, IDIOTIC!!!

What next!

So, prefectures as far as China and Saitama were radioactively contaminated as well?

And now where to bury all that plastic- bagged -waste?

Oh dear......

poor traffic cone!

Why don't you test burry it under Nagatacho instead?

C,mom LDP put your money where your mouth is...it's all perfectly safe after all as you say.

EXACTLY!! Nice one Marcelito

So, prefectures as far as China and Saitama were radioactively contaminated as well?

It would appear to be the case.

And now where to bury all that plastic- bagged -waste?

And yet that FOOL of a PM STILL wants the nukes operational.

Oh dear....

understatement. Would substitute dear for another 4 letter word but it wont be allowed...

Excuse the ignorance, but wouldn't dropping it inside an active volcano be a better option?

Active volcanoes spew out their contents high into the atmosphere, thus spreading the radiation. And no, the heat of the volcano will not destroy the radiation.

By the way, if you’ve never seen the documentary movie, “Into Eternity”, I highly recommend it. It’s a look at the enormous nuclear waste repository that Finland is building to store its waste. Very interesting.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1194612/

A total of 56 municipalities in seven prefectures -- Iwate, Miyagi, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama and Chiba -- have completed their cleanup work with financial support from the central government.

Who remembers the Japanese government claiming the fallout from the meltdowns was only small and in a limited area? The evacuation zone was 20k around the site. However, many of the areas contaminated soil has been collected from are much further away than 20k. If the soil from these areas is contaminated, everything in those areas is contaminated, houses, cars, schools, roads, shops, everything! Now, they want to spread this contaminated waste all over the country. It should all be stored within the exclusion zone in areas that will never be inhabitable again.

So we're going to see lots of TEPCO workers digging up the roads in future and filling in the holes with you know what ?

However, many of the areas contaminated soil has been collected from are much further away than 20k.

Agreed. I live about 300km from Fukushima, but there are signs all over the forests here warning people not to pick mushrooms because of their becquerel levels. Might just be an over-precaution, but with what has happened in the last few years its hard to know who to trust.

Radiation comes from a radioactive source as in radioactive contaminated soil. Thank you and have a nice day!

However, since some 330,000 cubic meters of soil waste have been temporarily kept at around 28,000 locations including public spaces such as schools and parks

Could they not keep it under the Diet, instead?

So, they're going to bury the earth they dug up, then if it doesn't show any effects within a few minutes, will deem it safe forever.

And in 10 years, when cancer rates have shown to have gone up exponentially the government's response will be:

1) There is no evidence to suggest that the 3000 fold increase in cancer rates has anything to do with the radioactive waste having been buried in the soil.

a few years later...

2) We have dug in the ground and found that many of the containers, which were only meant to be temporary, have ruptured or rotted, and their contents have been mixed in with regular soil and also seeped into the ground water, but we don't believe this has any effect on anything.

a few years later...

3) the goverment of the time could not have known this would be the result. We recognize that people are suffering as a result of the decisions made at the time, but we find the government not guilty. If victims will out this 600 page information booklet by tomorrow morning and wave any rights to future lawsuits, they will get one free treatment. Poor people.

and later still...

4) Wasnt't me! It was previous people in charge. Sadly, they are all dead now. Who could have possibly known this would happen?

So as I understand it, and as Shinzo has said we all have to bear the burden as a society. Thank you. The choices are leave it on river banks, sea sides or scatter it everywhere. Surely there might be a better option. Concentrate it at the source? It, that is the radioactive fallout obviously spread well outside the official designated areas, naughty fallout. And 7 years latter the bright idea is spread it further because Suprise, Suprise those plastic bags are falling apart.

Perhaps they should ask Boris Johnson if he'll take some for his back garden ?

Can't they bury it under/around the Diet?

Actually, dumping it at see will equally disperse it and cause no ill effects.

Didnt they dig it up to decontaminate? How on earth is burying it going to help!

Another option, would to use these bags as the base/innards for a proper sea wall around the Fukushima complex itself, and to encase them all with "thick" Concrete. If there's any bags left over, then to do likewise with other Power station seawall defenses that may be a bit short....