Fukushima soil moved to Japan PM Ishiba’s yard in effort to allay safety fears

TOKYO – Soil collected in decontamination work near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex was transported to central Tokyo on July 19 to be spread in the front yard of the Prime Minister’s Office, as the government attempts to allay safety concerns about its use.

Some 20,000 cubic metres of soil from a temporary storage facility in Fukushima prefecture is to be spread to form a 60cm-thick layer under a lawn, according to the Environment Ministry.

The soil, excavated in decontamination work after the 2011 nuclear accident and containing low levels of radiation, will be covered by a layer of topsoil, marking the first instance of its use outside of Fukushima prefecture. Radiation levels will then be monitored periodically.

By demonstrating its safety, the government hopes to defuse opposition to its use in other parts of the country, mainly in public works projects.

The government aims to have all 14.1 million cubic metres of the collected soil – enough to fill 11 baseball stadiums – repurposed outside Fukushima prefecture by March 2045. It arranged to move the soil outside the prefecture as part of an effort to share the disaster’s burden more widely.

The Fukushima plant, hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami in 2011, suffered fuel meltdowns at three of its nuclear reactors, releasing radiation into the atmosphere. Clean-up work in nearby areas led to the accumulation of contaminated soil.

Soil with radioactive caesium levels below 8,000 becquerels per kg can be used in infrastructure and other public works. About three-quarters of the soil currently stored near the Fukushima nuclear plant meet the criteria. KYODO NEWS