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On May 8, DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada spoke to reporters in Fukushima City at the end of a two day visit to Fukushima prefecture that included discussions with local authority leaders and a visit to the restricted zone around Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. He was asked by reporters for his reaction to a request from Iitate village for exemptions to be made for nursing homes for the elderly within the planned evacuation area, and a request from Kawamata Town for compensation to be made to livestock farmers. With regard to evacuations, Okada said, “We must take a flexible approach that fully acknowledges the wishes of local residents. I was once more made aware of the need for the government to set forth a plan and then for the final decision to be made based on the opinions of local authority chiefs.” With regard to the issue of compensation for livestock farmers, Okada commented, “The state must set forth a policy that establishes standards for compensation and the method for dealing with livestock after they have been slaughtered.”
Asked how Tokyo Electric Power Corporation and the government were intending to divide the responsibility for dealing with the aftermath of the accident at Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Okada first emphasized the importance of bringing the accident speedily under control, stressing, “The bottom line is for us to first stabilize the situation.” He commented on compensation for the accident, saying, “A basic direction has been set forth, but matters have not yet progressed as far as specific details, and so it is vital for these to be decided urgently. It is important to proceed not simply with advance payments, but also with compensation.”
Okada also commented on a request received from Iitate village asking to be used as a test case in improving the quality of contaminated soil. He said, “This is an issue that needs to be dealt with when the situation has entered a more stable phase, but we can start to gather information about a variety of methodologies from here on.”
Asked for his impressions after visiting the restricted area within a 20 km radius of Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Okada said, “I want to pay my heartfelt respects to the police, firefighters, and SDF troops who are showing true grit is searching for the bodies of the missing under extremely difficult conditions.”
Giving his response to voices calling for Tokyo Electric Power Corporation to speed up the schedule set forth in their process chart in the wake of the many evacuees calling for an early return home, Okada said, “Wherever I went I heard people saying that they wanted to return home as soon as possible. Those on the scene [at the damaged reactors] are working their hearts out, and we are supporting them to ensure that they can work to the best of their ability, while ensuring their safety.”
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