Dec. 9, 2022
Japan’s environment ministry has announced plans to demonstrate the reuse of decontaminated soil from Fukushima at a Tokyo park.
Environment Minister Nishimura Akihiro announced on Friday that the project will take place at the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.
Soil exposed to radioactive fallout from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been decontaminated and kept in intermediary storage in the prefecture.
The government plans to reuse the soil for public works projects as long as the concentration of radioactive substances falls below a certain threshold.
Nishimura said the ministry will use the soil in a flower bed in an area normally closed to the public and later hold public flower-viewing events.
Ministry officials are to meet with nearby residents to explain about the project on December 21. The project is due to start early next year.
Nishimura said the ministry hopes to use the project to gain public understanding for the recycling of the decontaminated soil.
Earlier in the week, the ministry announced a plan to test soil recycling at the National Environmental Research and Training Institute in Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo.
Trials to reuse the soil have so far only taken place in Fukushima.
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