Japan expands Fukushima soil recycling project to Sendai, Saitama
Japan’s Environment Ministry says it plans to reuse soil collected in decontamination work near the disaster-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex at national government branch offices in Miyagi and Saitama prefectures. The government has already reused the soil at 12 sites in Tokyo since July last year, including the prime minister’s office and other buildings in the Kasumigaseki district.…
Japan's Environment Ministry plans to reuse soil from decontamination efforts near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex at branch offices in Miyagi and Saitama prefectures. This expansion, following the use of soil in Tokyo since July last year, marks the first reuse outside Tokyo. The government aims to further expand soil reuse to other branch offices nationwide to reduce the total amount of soil needing disposal.
As of July, about 14.46 million cubic meters of soil have been stored near the nuclear complex. The government targets recycling 75% of low-radioactivity soil for public works, though only 2 cubic meters is planned for Sendai and Saitama. The soil will be used for plantings in government buildings in Sendai and Saitama. Local officials in Sendai and Saitama have expressed concerns about transparency and resident understanding.
The soil must be moved outside Fukushima prefecture by March 2045, with final disposal site selection expected between 2030 and 2035.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
