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yesterday

Japan to Plant Slightly Radioactive Fukushima Soil at Prime Minister’s Office

Endorsed by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the initiative seeks to reassure the public by covering low-level material with topsoil as part of plans for permanent disposal by 2045.

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© Olivier Evrard, J. Patrick Laceby, and Atsushi Nakao, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Overview

  • Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said soil meeting safety standards will be used in flower beds at the Prime Minister’s office and other government agency grounds.
  • The Environment Ministry will employ the soil as foundation fill topped with a thick layer of uncontaminated earth to keep radiation exposure negligible.
  • The IAEA endorsed guidelines set by Japan’s Environment Ministry after verifying that treated soil levels comply with international safety benchmarks.
  • About 14 million cubic meters of decontaminated soil remain in interim storage near the Fukushima Daiichi plant with a government pledge to secure disposal sites outside the prefecture by March 2045.
  • Earlier pilot projects in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward and Saitama Prefecture were halted following public protests, highlighting ongoing challenges in gaining community acceptance.