Goshi Hosono on Disaster Debris Burning: "It's Only 33 Kilograms Per Person..."

Minister of the Environment Goshi Hosono, who was better known for his extramarital affair with a popular actress before Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant blew up, tells the citizens of Japan on an NHK interview: "It's only 33 kilograms of disaster debris from Miyagi and Iwate per person who lives outside Miyagi and Iwate."

As if it's a good thing.

NHK News (2/21/2012):

細野環境大臣は、ＮＨＫのインタビューで、被災地のがれきをほかの自治体で受け入れる広域処理を進めるため、環境省で焼却と最終処分を別々の自治体で行う方法を新たに検討したいという考えを明らかにしました。

In an NHK interview, Minister of the Environment Hosono revealed that his ministry may explore a new way whereby the incineration and the final disposal will be done in different municipalities, in order to expedite the wide-area processing of the disaster debris.

この中で細野環境大臣は「宮城県と岩手県のがれきは、一部をぜひ広域処理していただきたい。２つの県で処理しきれない部分を全国でお願いした場合、ほかの地域で処理する量は、１人当たり３３キロになり、これであれば、全国で処理していただけるのではないか」と述べました。

In the interview, Minister Hosono said, "I want to have portion of the debris from Miyagi and Iwate to be processed in wide areas, at all cost. If everyone in Japan outside Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures take on the debris that cannot be processed inside Miyagi and Iwate, the amount of the debris would be 33 kilograms per person. I believe it is manageable."

そのうえで細野大臣は「いちばんありがたいのは、焼却も最終処分もしていただく方法だが、最終処分場がない自治体もあるので、その場合は、焼却した灰をほかの所で最終処分できないか、仕組みを考えたい」と述べ、環境省で焼却と最終処分を別々の自治体で行う方法を新たに検討したいという考えを明らかにしました。

Hosono further said, "It would be best if a municipality could burn the debris and bury in the final processing site. But there are municipalities without the final processing sites, so in such cases we would like to come up with a system to take the ashes to a final processing site in another municipalities", indicating the Ministry of the Environment may explore a new way whereby the incineration and the final disposal will be done in different municipalities.

また、細野大臣は、被災地のがれきを試験的に焼却した静岡県島田市が焼却灰を一般公開し、市民が直接、放射線量を測れるようにした例を挙げ、「できれば皆さんにみずから測っていただいて、不安を取り除いていただきたい。被災地と本当に復興していこうという気持ちを持っていただけるのであれば、安全に処理できるので、ぜひ手を貸していただきたい」と述べ、広域処理への協力を訴えました。

Minister Hosono also mentioned the case of Shimada City in Shizuoka Prefecture. After the test incineration of the disaster debris, the city let the citizens measure the radiation level of the ashes. Hosono appealed for citizens' cooperation for the wide-area disposal by saying "I would like the citizens to measure [the radiation] themselves to put their minds at ease. If you want to help the disaster-affected areas recover, please help, because [the debris] will be processed safely."

By moving the radioactive ashes from one municipality to another, it will incur additional cost for the taxpayers and a handsome profit for the waste management industry and the municipalities. Nothing to do with "recovery".

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