The government on Aug. 24 established a special team that will determine the best methods to decontaminate areas hit by radioactive fallout from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The government on Aug. 24 established a special team that will determine the best methods to decontaminate areas hit by radioactive fallout from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The team, comprising about 30 members, including employees of the environment ministry, the Cabinet Office and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, will remove surface soil and weeds, wash building walls with water and take other measures to decide how best to reduce radiation levels, sources said.
"The nuclear crisis is coming under control, but there is still a long way to go before the contamination issue is solved," said Goshi Hosono, state minister in charge of dealing with the nuclear accident, at an inaugural ceremony in Fukushima city. "The future of Fukushima (Prefecture) depends on the progress of decontamination efforts."
Hosono subsequently visited Date city, where a model project has started to verify the effectiveness of the decontamination efforts.
The model project was initiated in the two Fukushima Prefecture cities of Date and Minami-Soma. Tests will be conducted over a total area of about 10,000 square meters, including houses, roads, forests and farm fields.
Roofs, waterspouts and gutters at homes will be washed with high-pressure water and scrubbed with brushes. Surface soil will be removed from forests and farm fields.
The project also includes the collection of fallen leaves and humus, as well as the use of absorbents for radioactive substances. In mid-September, the project will be concentrated on specific measures that have proved the most effective, and will also be expanded to a wider area. In addition, the government will extend assistance to decontamination programs led by municipalities.
"I want to ensure that the central government is the leading player of decontamination efforts," Hosono told reporters. "We will conduct our activities in areas of high radiation levels as well."