Ministry loses radioactive soil sent to Tokyo from Fukushima

Maybe they could help to also lose all those Fukushima radioactive soil bags….

August 15, 2018

The Environment Ministry said it has mislaid a 10-kilogram sample of radioactive soil and other materials sent to it after the 2011 disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

Officials suggested Aug. 14 it might have been mistakenly thrown away due to a lack of communication between ministry officials.

It said the soil does not pose a threat to public health.

Ministry officials said the radioactive soil and other items arrived at the ministry head office in small cardboard boxes in two deliveries from Fukushima city in November 2011.

The radiation level had been recorded at a stable and relatively safe 0.6 microsievert per hour or below, and the soil was preserved in a locked steel case.

The disappearance came to light after the ministry received an inquiry from the media this month asking about the soil.

A subsequent in-house investigation indicated that a ministry employee, unaware of what the case contained, arranged for its disposal in January this year.

Japan is still grappling with the issue of disposal of soil made radioactive by the triple meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant following the earthquake and tsunami disaster.

A law covering decontamination decrees that “radioactive soil should not be disposed of without a good reason.”

“There is no excuse for it,” said an Environment Ministry official, acknowledging the error.

The ministry said that it will consider setting measures for preventing a recurrence and punishments may be meted out to those responsible.

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201808150059.html

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