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Japanese fears on radioactive debris

Radiation fears behind debris refusals / Remaining refuse may cause secondary damage, hinder reconstruction efforts, The Yomiuri Shimbun, 4 Nov 11 The start Wednesday of shipments of debris from the Great East Japan Earthquake to Tokyo, the first destination for such refuse outside the Tohoku region, was a long-awaited first step toward wider disposal of the wreckage.

However, an Environment Ministry survey released Wednesday showed that only 54 local governments and garbage-disposal unions, less than 10 percent the figure in a previous survey, were considering accepting debris from disaster-hit areas.

A huge quantity of debris remains in the devastated areas almost eight months after the March 11 disaster,…….

So far, however, Tokyo is the only prefecture outside the Tohoku region that has accepted debris from the disaster-hit areas. An official involved with the issue at the Kyoto city government said, “The Environment Ministry says the debris is safe, but we can’t convince our residents.”…..

The city government of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, has decided to accept debris only from Iwate Prefecture because the city and Iwate Prefecture both belonged to the Nambu-han feudal clan during the Edo period (1603-1867).

However, the city said its acceptance would be conditional. “We know we have to cooperate with reconstruction, but we’ll only accept debris from which there will be no effect from radiation,” an official said.

An environmental affairs union in charge of garbage disposal in central and southern parts of Nagasaki Prefecture also said it would accept 6,500 tons a year on the condition that debris contaminated with radioactive substances would be excluded……

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111103004395.htm

November 4, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, Japan