Reuse of Fukushima Soil to Begin at PM Office This Summer

   Tokyo, June 4 (Jiji Press)--The reuse of soil removed during radiation decontamination efforts following the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima Prefecture will begin at the grounds of the prime minister's office in Tokyo this summer, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday.
   "Unless we properly demonstrate that the soil can be used, we couldn't gain the people's understanding," Ishiba said during a meeting with Jun Yoshida, mayor of the Fukushima town of Okuma. "We'll start with the prime minister's office," he added.
   Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Yoshida emphasized, "It's important to first gain understanding of the safety (of the soil) from many people."
   Yoshida, also head of the group of mayors in the Futaba region, submitted a written request to the government for securing funds for reconstruction following the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, which triggered the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.

(2025/06/04-20:53)