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Japanese government gives up its plan to begin transporting radioactive wastes to interim storage sites

Ube : Gov’t to postpone moving radioactive waste to interim storage sites http://www.4-traders.com/UBE-INDUSTRIES-LTD-6491266/news/Ube–Govt-to-postpone-moving-radioactive-waste-to-interim-storage-sites-19704037/  18 Jan 15 Environment Minister Yoshio Mochizuki said Friday the government has given up its plan to begin this month transporting radioactively contaminated soil and other waste, collected during decontamination work following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis, to interim storage sites at nearby towns.

The government now aims to begin such transportation by March 11 this year on the fourth anniversary of the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, Environment Ministry officials said.

The delay was due to difficulties obtaining agreement from residents near the interim storage sites and local municipalities, the officials said.

Under the government plan, the radioactively contaminated waste will be kept in the interim facilities in the towns of Futaba and Okuma in Fukushima Prefecture and will be permanently disposed of outside the prefecture within 30 years, as requested by the Fukushima prefectural government in accepting the storage.

The site for final disposal of the radioactive waste has yet to be decided.

Meanwhile, Reconstruction Minister Wataru Takeshita offered an apology over the delay.

In October 2011, the government led by then Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda released the target to begin the delivery of contaminated waste to interim storage sites in January 2015.

January 19, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, wastes