Bags containing mildly radioactive soil, collected from near the devastated Fukushima nuclear plant, were delivered to the Japanese Prime Minister’s office on Saturday.
The move aimed to demonstrate that the soil is safe for reuse. Immediately after the tsunami and nuclear disaster in March 2011, authorities removed the top layer of soil from several areas in Fukushima in an effort to reduce radiation levels.
To date, more than 14 million cubic metres of soil have been stored in facilities near the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The government has outlined plans to transfer the soil to other parts of the country by 2045.
According to the Environment Ministry, most of the stored soil contains such low radiation levels that a person standing or working on it would receive, over the course of a year, exposure equivalent to a single X-ray.
However, due to widespread reluctance to accept the contaminated soil in local areas, the government decided to reuse a portion of it in order to show that it does not pose a danger.
On Saturday, workers unloaded the bags of soil from a lorry into the courtyard of the Prime Minister’s office. Reports suggested that the soil would be used in flower beds.
The environment ministry said that approximately 20 centimetres (8 inches) of ordinary soil would be laid on top of the Fukushima soil.
Public opinion surveys indicate that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s coalition risks losing its majority in Sunday’s upper house elections, a result that could force him to leave office in under a year.
