nuclear-news

PCB waste treatment plan in Fukushima: “Insufficient explanation” and opposition from many people

Feb. 07, 2022
A meeting was held to check the government’s plan to dispose of highly concentrated PCB waste generated in Fukushima Prefecture after the nuclear power plant accident in Muroran City.

The Ministry of the Environment presented a plan to treat waste containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a toxic substance, from the “contaminated waste management area” in Fukushima Prefecture at a facility in Muroran City, and the city and province approved the plan last December.
On the 7th, a meeting was held in Muroran City to check the government’s project, with representatives of citizens’ groups and academic experts attending.
At the meeting, a representative from the Ministry of the Environment explained that the decision was made based on the opinions of experts who had investigated the safety of the treatment at the site.
In response to this, a number of committee members expressed their opposition to the disposal of PCBs, arguing that the Ministry of the Environment’s explanation was too sketchy and that they had not received a reply to their questionnaire.
One of the committee members, Akiaki Kono, representative of the Association for the Safety of PCB Disposal, said, “Information on the field survey has not been properly disclosed. I felt that the administrative procedures were incomplete. The situation is not such that safety can be confirmed,” he said.
The Ministry of the Environment said, “We have not decided when we will start processing. The Ministry of the Environment says, “We have not decided when we will start the treatment, but we will answer the opinions and questions raised this time.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/sapporo-news/20220207/7000043152.html?fbclid=IwAR3fXeQ4VwN56XNR5S05uFjTGHYCiRcQ9nk85uC9NbSG5V3FvDDQ4nFDEpY

February 13, 2022 - Posted by dunrenard | Fuk 2022 | Contaminated Waste, Fukushima Prefecture, Muroran, PCB