Northern Mariana Islands Offer to Accept Disaster Debris and Store it on One of the Islands

Jiji Tsushin reports that Froilan Tenorio, former governor of the Northern Mariana Islands and a current Representative of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI), offered to lease one of the islands to the Japanese government to store the disaster debris from Tohoku.

From Jiji Tsushin (5/11/2012):

東日本大震災で発生したがれき処理をめぐり、サイパン島で知られる米・北マリアナ諸島連邦の下院議員が１１日、宮城県庁で記者会見し、がれきを管理下の無人島で受け入れたいとの意向を表明した。ただ、環境省によると、廃棄物の輸出が認められるのは、国内で処理できないことなどが条件となるため、実現は困難という。

A Representative of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, which is known for the island of Saipan, held a press conference at the Miyagi prefectural government on May 11 and offered to accept the disaster debris from the March 11, 2011 disaster on an uninhabited island under [the Commonwealth's] control. However, according to the Ministry of the Environment, it will be quite unlikely as one of the conditions of exporting the waste is that the waste cannot be disposed domestically.

　同連邦政府の知事も務めたフロイラン・テノリオ議員は「日本国内の受け入れ先は数カ所しか決まっていないと聞いた」と述べ、１９８１年に火山が噴火し、居住が禁じられているパガン島を廃棄物受け入れ用にリースすると発表した。

Representative Froilan Tenorio, who was the governor of the Commonwealth, said, "I hear that there are only few places in Japan that will accept the debris", and announced that he would lease the island of Pagan to store the debris. A volcanic eruption in 1981 forced the residents to evacuate the island.

　しかし、日本の廃棄物処理法は、国内で処理ができないケースのほか、相手国で廃棄物が再生利用される場合に限って輸出を認めるとしており、県の担当者は「気持ちはうれしいが、海外でということはあり得ない」と複雑な表情で話した。

However, the Japanese law on the waste disposal allows export of the waste only when it is not possible to dispose it in Japan and when the waste is recycled in the recipient country. The official in charge of the debris in the Miyagi prefectural government said, with mixed feeling, "We appreciate the offer, but it's impossible [to ship the debris] overseas."

A quick check on Google found a Youtube video of Mr. Tenorio speaking about the failure of his most recent effort to build a casino on the island of Saipan.

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