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Gov't decides on forest in Ibaraki as storage site for radioactive waste from Fukushima

11 Comments

The government on Thursday said it had chosen an area of national forest land near Takahagi City in northern Ibaraki Prefecture as a storage site for radioactive waste from Fukushima Prefecture.

A vice minister from the Environment Ministry visited Takahagi Mayor Yoshio Kusama to inform him of the decision, Fuji TV reported.

Kusama told reporters afterward he was shocked by the notification. He said the city had received no prior notice and there had been no consultation. He added that the city cannot accept such a high-handed decision.

The waste will be ash from burned debris and mud removed from ditches, an Environment Ministry official said. He said about 1,700 tons of waste containing radioactive cesium of over 8,000 becquerels per kilogram will be stored in the area.

The government made a similar decision earlier this month for the Tochigi town of Yaita. That decision also was opposed by the town.

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11 Comments
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The creation of the Dead Forest.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The article doesn't explain the rationale for the process or the choice of location, which was pretty clearly explained in NHK, etc.

Of course it is going to seem outrageous when you don't explain it.

The reason this site in particular was selected was (1) geological features, (2) remoteness from inhabited areas, (3) land is government owned, and no doubt the fact the national park runs alongside Fukushima and is relatively close to the red zone probably factored in too.

The reason the announcement was made suddenly was that the government acknowledged this would cause concern and face strong opposition from all candidate areas, and so rather than antagonize areas that end up not being selected, the approach was to select the most appropriate location for long term waste storage and inform the selected area and explain to them once it was done.

If you put all this waste in the red zone, the nearest communities will still live much closer to the waste than they would in the chosen site, plus last I checked there were no large national parks or reserves in the red zone.

It sucks but it is what it is. There is plenty of information about this news story outside of the limited version provided in Japan Today. People here seem to be reading this at face value and presuming everyone involved in this process is somehow insane - which leaves no basis for intelligent discussion.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@NZ2011

Agreed. I would not be surprised if this moving around nuclear debris is thought (by old, useless politician dinosaurs) to "stimulate" the local economies. Seems to me, most politicians still believe in "spending money is best for our country" and if so, they probably think they are doing the locals a favor. Likewise, there is probably some kind of confused idea of getting Fukushima "back on its feet" and to do everything they can to get people to believe that Fukushima is a great place to live. So they try to sanitize as best as they can, move anything unwanted away from there and then some clown with a comb-over can say a few word how they all "ganbatta" and bla bla bla and cut some little band and say: "Hooray, Fukushima is completely clean now. Come back now, people, nothing to fear here!"

The crazy idea of marketing veggies from Fukushima only a year after the disaster tells me I am not only speculating. This country's leaders want people to return to normal. Unfortunately, I think the masses will swallow this. Have to "support" your country.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Fully agree to bury the contaminated debris within fukushima itself. Dont spread the radiation to non contaminated sites please, dont poison the people, the nature, kill tourism and other industries because of it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Kusama told reporters afterward he was shocked by the notification. He said the city had received no prior notice and there had been no consultation. He added that the city cannot accept such a high-handed decision.

CLASSIC JAPAN let's avoid having an uncomfortable situation and/or confrontation by just making decisions without even consulting those directly affected and involved. Sick.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

who are these people!!!

its already somewhere where no-one can live.. why move it??

Im am just constantly stunned by the people running/destroying this country!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Government bullying in a country where bullying is widespread.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Tochigi? Ibaraki? Which is it?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The national government seems to be forcing their will down the throats of the local governments/people. The stress tests, according to the other JT article, are going to be abandoned, too.

This Noda Administration has turned out to be quite a turncoat against the DJP and the local municipalities of the Kanto/Tohoku. I rate his administration as one of the worst in recent history.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

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