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2011/09/08
PM Noda visits Fukushima Prefecture, vows to “engage wholeheartedly in decontamination”
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On September 8, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda spoke to reporters following a visit to Fukushima Prefecture that started with early morning inspections and ended in the evening with a meeting with local government chiefs.
Noda was asked whether he would continue with the proposal to site a temporary facility for the disposal of nuclear waste in Fukushima Prefecture, which was initiated by the previous government. He responded, “First of all, we will engage wholeheartedly in decontamination.” With regard to the temporary disposal facility, he said that he would like to meet with representatives of the prefectural government and of the various towns and villages involved, and discuss this issue once again.
Noda added, “This is a temporary disposal facility, rather than one for final disposal of the waste, and I would like to explain that the state will be fully responsible for monitoring safety aspects, and to respond to this issue having fully taken the opinions of the concerned municipalities and the prefectural government into consideration.
Following the Prime Minister’s remarks, Minister of State responsible for dealing with the nuclear accident Goshi Hosono explained, “I understand [the Prime Minister] to mean that the policy to be pursued by the new Noda government will be first to carry out thorough decontamination and to prioritise getting as many people home to Fukushima as soon as possible.” He referred to the fact that in the preceding discussions with representatives of local authorities, there had been calls for a roadmap and directives regarding the temporary storage facility to be submitted at an early date, when proceeding with decontamination, commenting, “This is a difficult issue, but I believe that we have received a positive suggestion. This is a theme I have been tasked with since the days of the Kan government, and so I would like to proceed first by considering within the administration the various possibilities open to us, and then I myself would like to conduct the necessary discussions.”
Hosono went on to comment on the temporary storage facility, saying, “I believe that we have no choice but to locate it somewhere within Fukushima prefecture. There is no change in our stance that this should not be the final location for disposal.” He stated that while considering the actual details regarding the temporary disposal facility, it would also be necessary to consider what arrangements should be made for final disposal of the waste.
Noda said that he basically shared these opinions, and added, “Communication between the local municipalities involved and Governor Sato is crucial.”
Noda said that his three-day visit to the disaster-affected areas reflected the fact that “My government considers recovery and reconstruction, along with the speedy resolution of the nuclear accident, to be our main priorities. Huge damage has now been caused to the Kii Peninsula following torrential rains. I believe that measures to assist the disaster-affected areas should be main priorities for my government, and so I believe that it is important for me to see the affected areas with my own eyes, listen carefully to the various opinions, and engage in an immediate and thorough response. For that reason I would like to thoroughly scrutinise the situation on the ground.”
Regarding the scheduling for the forthcoming extraordinary Diet session to be held this autumn, Noda commented, “I have informed the Diet Affairs Committee Chair that I basically intend to deliver my policy speech and receive questions on it from the opposition before travelling to the UN General Assembly.” He also expressed the opinion, based on impressions gained from his three-day to the affected prefectures, that deliberations regarding the 3rd supplementary budget needed to be set in motion as soon as possible, stating, “I would like the ruling and opposition parties to discuss this matter fully and thoroughly. I would like to take the time for this, and my request to the Diet Affairs Committee Chair also takes this into account.”
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