Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara apologized on June 17 for suggesting that payments to residents in Fukushima Prefecture would resolve the problem of selecting a site to temporarily store radiation-contaminated soil.
Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara apologized on June 17 for suggesting that payments to residents in Fukushima Prefecture would resolve the problem of selecting a site to temporarily store radiation-contaminated soil.
“I would like to express my heartfelt apology to those who experienced unpleasant emotions due to a comment lacking character that I made,” Ishihara said.
That comment came the previous day, after Ishihara reported to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on the status of the project to construct the interim storage facility in Okuma and Futaba, both near the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
“With the conclusion of the explanatory meetings, I talked (with Suga) about the future schedule,” Ishihara told reporters June 16. “In the end, it will come down to money. (Suga) did not say anything in particular about the monetary figure (for compensation to local residents) that was presented at the explanatory meetings.”
In exchange for hosting the interim storage facility, the central government plans to provide a tax grant to the host municipality and compensation to individuals whose land will be used in the project. The size of the grant and compensation is expected to be a key factor in gaining the consent of the local community.
Under the government’s plan, tons of soil removed during decontamination work and currently stored in various locations in Fukushima Prefecture would be transferred to the interim storage facility. That would speed up reconstruction work in locations where the contaminated soil has been removed.
Residents of the candidate sites have been reluctant to host the interim facility, fearing it will end up becoming a permanent fixture in their neighborhood.
Fukushima Governor Yuhei Sato was extremely critical of Ishihara's initial comment.
"The comment had absolutely no thought about the feelings of Fukushima residents toward their hometowns," Sato told reporters on June 17. "As a human, he should never have used the word 'money.' "
Although he apologized for his comment, Ishihara did not retract it on the grounds it was made at an informal gathering with reporters. He also said he could not totally recall what he said.
At the June 17 news conference, Ishihara explained what he was trying to say on the previous day.
“I meant to say that in the end what would be important was presenting the monetary figure to compensate for use of the land, to help rebuild the lives of residents and for the reconstruction of the local community,” Ishihara said. “I never said the issue could be resolved through money.”
When asked if he planned to apologize to the residents of Fukushima Prefecture, Ishihara only said, “Naturally, I will have many opportunities to visit Fukushima.”