LDP draft proposal for delayed Fukushima reconstruction realistic

A key issue is securing funds. Decontamination work alone is estimated to require several trillion yen. The government and ruling parties should waste no time considering matters, including revisions of the existing special law that requires TEPCO to reimburse the government for decontamination costs.

November 3, 2013

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0000767809

The Yomiuri Shimbun How can the badly delayed work to reconstruct Fukushima Prefecture be accelerated? A proposal drafted by the Liberal Democratic Party could serve as a prescription for that.

An LDP task force, tasked with speeding recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, has drafted a package of measures, titled “Toward acceleration of reconstruction from the nuclear crisis.” The ruling party is expected to submit it to the government as early as next week.

Even two years and eight months after the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant broke out, about 150,000 remain evacuees. The LDP proposal is intended to urge the government to boost efforts to bring evacuees’ lives back to normal.

A key point in the draft is that the LDP has drawn up a plan to extend aid to people who plan to stay where they currently live or settle in new areas instead of returning home. The draft calls on the government to consider ways of compensating these people, such as by helping them obtain new homes easily.

Areas near the Fukushima nuclear power plant have been divided into three zones according to annual radiation exposure levels. The decontamination methodology has yet to be established for the zone with the highest radiation readings among the three, where residency is prohibited.

It is reasonable that the draft proposal prods the government to take a realistic view on the zone and as accurately as possible provide the prospects of residents’ return. This would help many evacuees decide whether to settle down in a new location or return home.

More people would give up rebuilding their old lives if they realize they will not be able to return home for many years.

The government is aiming to rebuild municipalities near the nuclear power plant to allow all evacuees to return home. In reality, however, it has not even able to develop a plan to make that happen.

Given the situation, the proposal appears to highlight the importance of devising more realistic reconstruction measures.

Govt’s greater role urged

The draft proposal is also significant as it calls on the government to play a greater role in the nuclear cleanup.

The LDP has proposed the government shoulder costs if additional decontamination work is needed in the event that radiation levels go up despite decontamination efforts. As for expenses to build temporary facilities to store soil generated from the decontamination work, the proposal recommends the government “consider all possible measures” to ensure the money is available.

We also view it as reasonable that the LDP has urged the government to take the initiative in the decommissioning of the reactors and the cleanup of contaminated water at the plant.

Under the current plan, TEPCO is supposed to proceed with the decommissioning at its own expense while it eventually has to repay compensation payments and decontamination costs shouldered by the government.

Although TEPCO is the operator of the plant behind the nuclear crisis, the utility faces massive financial burdens. Delays in reconstruction cannot occur because of the deterioration of TEPCO’s business.

A key issue is securing funds. Decontamination work alone is estimated to require several trillion yen. The government and ruling parties should waste no time considering matters, including revisions of the existing special law that requires TEPCO to reimburse the government for decontamination costs.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 2, 2013)

November 2, 2013 - Posted by arclight2011part2 | Uncategorized

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