Japan to use Fukushima decontamination soil outside Tokyo for first time

Soil contaminated during the cleanup of the 2011 Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant disaster is set to be used at government facilities outside Tokyo for the first time, as Japan accelerates efforts to expand the nationwide reuse of Fukushima decontamination soil.

Japan's Ministry of the Environment has decided to reuse Fukushima decontamination soil at national government buildings in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, and Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, according to Japanese media including Kyodo News on Tuesday.

The facilities are the Sendai Joint Government Building in Aoba Ward, Sendai, and the Saitama New Town Joint Government Building in Chuo Ward, Saitama. It marks the first time Fukushima decontamination soil will be used at government buildings outside Tokyo.

The soil was generated when surface layers around homes, farmland and other areas were scraped away to remove radioactive contamination that spread following the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant accident during the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011.

Japan has been expanding the use of decontamination soil at government facilities to ease public anxiety about its reuse. The soil is currently in use at 12 sites in Tokyo, starting with the prime minister's office and extending to central ministries. The latest step broadens that scope to regional government buildings.

The move is part of efforts to manage the enormous volume of decontamination soil Japan holds. About 14 million cubic meters of soil and waste are currently stored at interim storage facilities in Fukushima Prefecture. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, about 75 percent of that volume has low enough radioactivity that the Japanese government plans to reuse it in projects such as embankment construction and landfill.

Japanese law requires that decontamination soil from Fukushima undergo volume-reduction processing and be disposed of outside the prefecture by March 2045. Progress on securing a final disposal site has stalled due to local opposition, however, prompting the government to pursue expanded reuse as a way to reduce the total volume requiring final disposal.

The Japanese government maintains that the reuse of decontamination soil is carried out in accordance with safety standards. The IAEA continues to cooperate with Japan on the managed reuse and final disposal of the soil. In June, the two sides signed an MOU to strengthen that cooperation.

Public anxiety over the use of decontamination soil remains a complicating factor. Pilot reuse projects outside Tokyo have previously run into local opposition. Analysts say the government's focus on expanding use at government facilities first is intended to demonstrate safety and build broader public acceptance.