Moment of Truth from Goshi Hosono: "There Will Be No Baseless Rumor When Disaster Debris Spreads All Over Japan"

Minister of the Environment Goshi Hosono, aka radioactive tsunami/earthquake debris pusher, divulged his plan to eradicate "baseless rumors" aka radiation contamination. It's not appealing to WTO as his boss did, but as many have speculated already, his plan is to spread the debris and burning and burying all over Japan so that no one particular location is "rumored" to have radiation contamination.

I am fearful of a person like him, but I am equally fearful of the governor of Kyoto who was quite satisfied with Hosono's answer, as you can read in the NHK News article below.

From the NHK News already disappeared from the NHK website after less than a week but archived by this blog (3/9/2011):

がれきによる風評被害“国が対応”

Baseless rumors from the disaster debris will be dealt with "by the national government"

東日本大震災で発生したがれきを被災地以外で受け入れる広域処理が進まないなか、細野環境大臣は、全国知事会の会長を務める京都府の山田知事と会談し、がれきを受け入れた結果、仮に農作物の売れ行きが落ちるなど風評被害が出た場合には、国が責任を持って対応する考えを示しました。

As the wide-area disposal of disaster debris from March 11, 2011 earthquake/tsunami is facing strong resistance outside the disaster affected areas, Minister of the Environment Hosono met with Governor Yamada of Kyoto, who is the head of the National Governors' Association. Hosono told the governor that the national government would be responsible for dealing with the "baseless rumors" as the result of accepting the debris, such as dropping sales of farm produce.

９日の会談は、がれきの受け入れを検討する自治体が増えている一方で、放射性物質への不安などで、実際の受け入れには慎重な自治体が多いことから、全国知事会の要望で開かれました。

The March 9 meeting was held at the request of the National Council of Governors because there are many municipalities still hesitant to actually accept the debris due to the fear of radioactive materials, even though an increasing number of municipalities are considering accepting.

この中で、知事会の会長を務める京都府の山田知事は、がれきを処理する過程で継続的に放射性物質の濃度を測ることや、農作物の売れ行きが落ちるなど風評被害が出た場合は、補償も含め国が責任を持って対応するよう求めました。

Governor Yamada of Kyoto, who is the head of the National Governors' Association, demanded that the national government be responsible for constantly monitoring the radioactive materials during the processing of the debris and for compensating for the loss in sales of farm produce because of the baseless rumors.

これに対し、細野環境大臣は「不安を除くには放射性物質の測定や情報公開は前提だし、住民に直接確認してもらうことが近道だと思っている」と答えました。

Minister Hosono replied, "To remove the fear, measurement of radioactive materials and information disclosure have to be done so that the residents can see for themselves."

また、風評被害については「全国で受け入れが広がれば乗り越えられると思っている。万が一、損害が出た場合は、国が責任を持って対応する」と述べ、具体的な対応を検討する考えを示しました。

As to the damage from the baseless rumors, Hosono said, "I believe if the debris is widely accepted all over Japan, we can overcome the baseless rumors. If there is a damage, the national government will be responsible for dealing with it", indicating the government will have a detailed response to counter the damage [or baseless rumors].

山田知事は、会談のあと「風評被害への対応などについて前向きなことばをもらった。懇談の内容を各知事に知らせ、積極的に行動するよう要請したい」と話していました。

After the meeting, Governor Yamada said, "I got a forward-looking, positive response to the baseless rumors [from Minister Hosono]. I will tell the governors about what we talked about, and request them to take aggressive action [toward accepting the debris]."

As the readers of this blog have known from very early on, a baseless rumor since March 11, 2011 means anything that actually has radioactive materials of Fukushima I Nuke Plant origin. After one year of using the word, many producers in Japan, particularly those in Fukushima, don't seem to even know what it means any more. They use the word whenever the consumers don't choose products from certain regions (Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Chiba, among others), and call it a "discrimination" (like Ms. Lauper).

If the debris is spread all over Japan and burned and buried all over Japan, there will be no ground for "baseless rumors" (aka radioactive materials) because everywhere will then be contaminated. This is exactly what people who are against the wide-area disposal of disaster debris have been saying, and now it is confirmed by Hosono. Some parts will be far less contaminated than others, but become contaminated nonetheless which could be totally avoided by not bringing in the debris and disposing it.

The nuclear power power plants were peddled in the similar way by the Japanese government all over Japan. Don't worry, the government will take care of it if an accident should happen. But don't worry the accident will never happen because a nuke plant is safe. Here, take some subsidy, just for considering a nuke plant in your town. And don't worry, we will build so many reactors all over Japan so that the risk is equally shared by everyone in Japan. After all, we don't call this a national policy for nothing.

We know how that has turned out.

Only this time, instead of 54 nuclear reactors, there will be 1600 incinerators. Instead of risk sharing (that an accident may or may not happen), there will be radioactive materials introduced in the areas that have been largely spared of radiation contamination.

But PM Noda has already said, "There will be no individual responsible for the accident." It will be the same for the aftermath of the accident.