除染土じょせんどを霞が関かすみがせきの中央ちゅうおう省庁しょうちょうで再生さいせい利用りよう 花壇かだんに土つちが運はこび込こまれる

After the accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, soil that was removed during decontamination is now being reused in construction work at central government offices in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo. On the 14th, the soil was delivered to locations such as the flower beds at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

After the nuclear accident, the large amount of soil and other materials removed during decontamination in Fukushima Prefecture has been stored at an interim storage facility within the prefecture, and by law, final disposal outside Fukushima Prefecture must be completed by 2045.

The government is aiming to reduce the amount of this final disposal by recycling soil with low concentrations of radioactive materials for use as embankment material in public works projects across the country. In fact, this was carried out within the grounds of the Prime Minister’s Office in July of this year.

Following this, a policy has been established to promote recycling in the nine government buildings in Kasumigaseki that house central ministries. Construction work began sequentially on the 13th in buildings where the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare are located, as well as those housing the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Reconstruction Agency, and others.

Of these, at the building housing the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, work was carried out on the 14th to fill a flowerbed in front of the parking lot with soil brought from Fukushima to a depth of 55 centimeters.

On top of that, they say they will cover it with 20 centimeters of regular soil to prevent scattering.

The Ministry of the Environment has set a standard that only soil with radioactive cesium concentrations of 8,000 becquerels or less per kilogram can be used for recycling, and the soil in question contains about 4,000 becquerels per kilogram.

The Ministry of the Environment regularly measures radiation levels and shares the information on its website and other channels, aiming to promote public understanding.