Japan Details Roadmap for Off-Site Disposal of Removed Soil Stored in Fukushima

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On August 26, the government released a roadmap for the off-site disposal of removed soil currently stored in Fukushima Prefecture. Under the plan, candidate sites for a final disposal facility will begin to be considered around 2030, with specifications to be finalized and a candidate location selected by around 2035.

The soil, generated from decontamination work, is temporarily stored at the Interim Storage Facility spanning the towns of Okuma and Futaba. By law, it must be finally disposed of outside Fukushima Prefecture by March 2045. As a precedent for such disposal, the government has already showcased reuse of removed soil at the Prime Minister’s Office. In July this year, soil transported from the interim facility was covered with clean earth and turf laid on top at the Prime Minister’s Office grounds.

According to materials distributed at the meeting of the Council for the Promotion of Recycling and Reuse on August 26, removed soil is scheduled to be used at a total of nine locations, including embankments at the entrance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ South Building and flower beds of central government ministries in Kasumigaseki, amounting to 79 cubic meters. The government also plans to expand the use to other branch offices and regional bureaus, eventually promoting reuse cases in the private sector as well. Discussions are underway on referring to the material as “reconstruction and recycled soil.”

The roadmap, developed in line with the “Basic Policy for Off-Site Final Disposal of Removed Soil in Fukushima Prefecture” formulated in May this year, lays out a course of action to prioritize reuse over the next five years. It is structured around three pillars: promoting reconstruction and reuse, building public understanding and risk communication, and advancing efforts for final off-site disposal.

The council will be convened about once a year to review progress. The Ministry of the Environment will consult Fukushima Prefecture and relevant municipalities as needed to revise guidelines. In addition, follow-up by the IAEA will be incorporated, with the government pledging transparent information dissemination based on scientific evidence.

The government’s goal is to foster a sense of reassurance and acceptance by creating leading examples of reuse and expanding them step by step. To this end, efforts will continue such as information dissemination via websites and social media, as well as site visits to the interim storage facility and the Nagadoro district environmental restoration project in Iitate Village, gradually widening the scope of regions and applications.