Friday, May 11, 2012

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.

9 comments:

Atomfritz said...

Thank you LaPrimavera for your great research, revealing how the poorest on the world will even volunteer to take over radioactive waste just in the faint hope that they'll get some tip that they have something to eat.

Revealing, too, that the Japanese administration refused the offer because of law problems, but interestingly not because of ethical problems.

Just a hint for Mr. Tenorio:
Redeclare the nuclear waste as raw materials.
Like the French redeclare their REPU (reprocessed uranium) as raw materials for export into Russia even if there is neither reprocessing nor reenrichment intended nor planned due to the high radioactivity of the materials that would render the enrichment plants unusable very soon because of residual fission product accumulations.

Anonymous said...

Many thanks to the honorable governor Tenorio. His offer to store low-dose radioactive debris on an uninhabited volcanic island (presumably until the radiation decays, or until the volcano buries it in a lava flow), is logical, generous, and very thoughtful. It is heart-warming to hear that the people of Saipan care for the people of Japan so much as to make this offer.

As for the Japanese government, refusal of this very practical solution to the debris disposal problem should convince everyone that the waste disposal plans of the DPJ are all about MONEY. Its about taking MONEY from the people of Japan to pay waste disposal companies to transport and burn this DANGEROUS WASTE to POISON Japan and its people.

Japan must accept the Saipan government's offer. Failing to do so is a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY.

Anonymous said...

Atomfritz,
You will enjoy this waste deal...

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/05/11/1936420/energy-northwest-to-buy-711m-of.html

LC Douglass said...

Hmm, placing irradiated wreckage on top of a volcanic island won't be very helpful if the volcano erupts and spews ash into the atmosphere.

Anonymous said...

Can anyone spell S.T.U.P.I.D? They need to consider they are already cleaning up fallout/radiation debris from Fukushima. Its there already...

Anonymous said...

It's not a stupid idea at all. In fact it is one of the best in-your-face suggestions I have heard thrown at the Japanese government. The Japanese government has insisted that the debris must be quickly disposed of to enable redevelopment of Tohoku. Most of use disagree with that assumption and don't think you need to send this debris all over Japan. But here, the ex-governor of Saipan has said, OK, if it has to be disposed of quickly, I've got an island you can lease for a while. If you take the Japanese government's insistence on quick debris disposal as truth, then this solution - which does not involve debris burning in downtown Tokyo - is a reasonable challenge to the government.

The ash that would come from a volcanic eruption would be from inside the earth and from the area of the mountain that explodes. If the Japan tsunami debris were put in a part of the island farthest away from the volcano, and then buried in a pit, then it would not be burned or go air-born in a volcanic eruption. In a worst case it would be buried deeper by a pyroclastic flow or lava flow.


Also consider that we are discussing LOW LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE. Although I would not rule out some hot particles with longer half-lifes, the big concern in this stuff is Cesium with a 30-year half life. Unlike islands where above ground nuclear testing was conducted, this island could be inhabited later if the volcano were to settle down.

Finally, when you consider the alternative offered by the Japan government - buring this stuff inside Japan's population centers and definately exposing tens of millions of people to the smoke and ashes - then burying it on a deserted volcanic island far from large population centers makes a lot more sense.

No, the Japan government needs to consider this offer from Saipan. If it continues to insist on spreading and burning debris around Japan, after this practical solution, then we all should know that the decision is being made based on MONEY, and is a plot to direct TAXPAYER MONEY into the hands of waste disposal companies. THIS IS PROOF.

CaptD said...

MONEY should not trump Public Health...

Far better to sink it in a deep ocean "trench" hopefully in a 'subduction" zone for eventual transport into the Earth's core.

Anonymous said...

What is the problem with this former governor, has he no respect for the Northern Islands. He should be put on a pile of radioactive debris and left there. The Island of Pagan is a beautiful island and should not be destroyed just because a volcano erupted years ago. People do live there and there is livestock on the island. Thia former governor should just keep his mouth shut.

Anonymous said...

Froilan Tenorio is a traitor to the Chamorro people to invite the distruction of a beautiful island just to get some money. Unbelievable that such people are tolerated. The radioactive garbage should be shipped and stored in his front yard. What a creep.

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