Japan announced plans to reuse slightly radioactive soil from Fukushima’s decontaminated zones in flower beds outside Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s office. The initiative, endorsed by the International Atomic Energy Agency, is designed to demonstrate the soil’s safety following extensive radiation treatment since the 2011 nuclear disaster.
The soil was gathered during decontamination efforts and has been stored at a temporary site near the Fukushima plant. With 14 million cubic meters of material still stored—equivalent to filling 11 baseball stadiums—the government seeks to repurpose some of it for public projects like road construction and landscaping within government agency grounds.
The Environment Ministry clarified that the reused soil would be buried beneath a thick layer of topsoil, ensuring radiation levels remain negligible. Despite these assurances, prior efforts to use the soil in public parks were abandoned due to protests.
Japan aims to finalize disposal methods for the material by 2045. Meanwhile, the IAEA continues to support Fukushima’s decommissioning, including removing over 880 tons of melted nuclear fuel. In 2023, Japan also began releasing treated radioactive wastewater into the sea to free up space for future decommissioning work.
Swifteradio.com
