英字新聞

(Mainichi Japan) November 2, 2011
Editorial: Radioactive waste storage project must heed local views
社説：中間貯蔵施設　「３年後をメド」着実に

The government has produced a schedule for handling soil and waste contaminated with radiation from the crisis-hit Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant.
　政府は、放射性物質に汚染された土壌や廃棄物の処理についての工程表を発表した。

Due to the spread of radioactive contamination, the Ministry of the Environment initially expressed the opinion that it was necessary for eight prefectures including Fukushima to construct interim facilities to store contaminated waste, but it has since decided that in prefectures outside of Fukushima, existing facilities will be used.
　放射能汚染の拡大を踏まえて、環境省は一時、福島県を含む８都県に汚染廃棄物を保管する中間貯蔵施設の設置が必要との認識を示したが、福島以外は既存の処分場を活用する方針に転換した。

The location of the interim storage facility in Fukushima will be decided as early as next fiscal year with operations due to commence in about three years' time.
　来年度中にも福島県内の中間貯蔵施設建設場所を決め、３年後をメドに運用を始める方針という。

To enable residents of Fukushima Prefecture who have been forced to evacuate their homes to return, it is essential that the government sticks to its policy of bearing responsibility for decontamination in areas where radiation dosages reach 1 millisievert per year or more.
　避難を余儀なくされている福島県民の帰還を実現するため、被ばく線量が年間１ミリシーベルト以上の地域は、国が責任を持って除染するという政府方針の実行は欠かせない。

Failure to determine guidelines for storage of contaminated waste will hinder decontamination work.
だが、汚染廃棄物の保管方針が決まらなければ、除染は進まない。

We call on the government to steadily put its schedule into action.
政府には工程表の着実な実行を求めたい。

The schedule states that waste is to be contained in temporary storehouses within each municipality "for about three years" until it is moved to the interim storage facility.
　工程表では、中間貯蔵施設に移すまでの市町村ごとの仮置き場での保管を「３年程度」と明示した。

Some say this will encourage the construction of temporary storehouses by local bodies that have not yet built such facilities out of concern that storage will become prolonged.
これによって、長期化を懸念して多くの市町村で決まっていない仮置き場の設置が進むと期待する声がある。

The government, meanwhile, has indicated that it will supply state-owned forest land in Fukushima Prefecture to construct a facility.
また、政府は福島県内にある国有林を用地として提供する姿勢も示す。

Still, even if local storehouses are temporary, the issue involves the interests of each region, and there are no guarantees that construction will go smoothly.
　だが、たとえ仮置き場とはいえ、地域の利害が絡み合う。設置が順調に進むとは限らない。

Naturally, the government must state how waste is to be stored.
廃棄物の適切な保管方法を示すことはもちろん、

It must become actively involved in explaining the situation and put a full effort into alleviating the concerns of residents.
周辺環境の安全性についても、政府が積極的にかかわって説明を尽くし、地元住民の不安解消と理解に全力を挙げるべきだろう。

What must come after that is the selection of a site for an interim storage facility.
　その後にまず立ちはだかるのが、中間貯蔵施設の場所選定だ。

As the extent of contaminated areas has widened, it is possible that the originally calculated size of the facility (23 times the capacity of Tokyo Dome) may not be enough.
除染の範囲が広がったため、最大東京ドーム２３杯分という収容量の試算がさらに膨らむ可能性がある。

Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato has reserved a decision on the storage project and called for a detailed investigation of it.
　福島県の佐藤雄平知事は「精査させてほしい」と、回答を留保した。

He has also asked the government to quickly state the size of the storage facility and the conditions associated with its construction.
その上で、施設の規模や条件を早期に明示することを政府に求めた。

This is a natural response.
当然の反応だ。

The government's schedule states that the interim storage facility will store waste for up to 30 years.
　工程表によると、最長３０年保管することになる施設だ。

However, there exist no plans for final storage facilities that will enable the waste to be carried out of the prefecture after this period.
しかも、その後、県外に運ぶという最終処分場のメドは全く立っていない。

Local residents fear that the interim storage facility could in fact become a final storage facility.
地元には、そのまま最終処分場にされてしまうとの懸念が強い。

How will the environment around the interim storage facility be managed, and how will the region be revitalized? 　中間貯蔵施設の周辺環境をいかに整備し、地域の振興をどう図るのか。

Unless the government listens to the voice of the prefecture and local bodies, then there will be no progress in selecting a location.
県や市町村の声をしっかりと受け止め具体化しなければ、場所の選定は前に進まないだろう。

The facility will not be any ordinary disposal facility, but one in which radioactive waste is stored for a long period of time.
　また、通常の処分場でなく、放射性廃棄物を長期にわたって保管する役割を持つ。

It is crucial that the government carefully explains the concentration of contamination of waste that is brought into the facility, and the results of environmental monitoring of air and water in the area.
地元住民に対し、持ち込まれる廃棄物の汚染濃度や、水や大気の環境モニタリング結果について繰り返し丁寧に説明することが何より肝心だ。

We hope the government will show its willingness for local residents to be involved in the management and operation of the facility as much as possible to ensure thorough safety.
安全を徹底するため、施設の管理・運用にできるだけ地元住民にかかわってもらう姿勢も、政府は示してほしい。

毎日新聞　2011年11月1日　2時30分