Japan Press Weekly

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2012 January 11 - 17 [GREAT EAST JAPAN DISASTER]

Only 3.5% of disaster rubble disposed

The amount of rubble that disaster-affected Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures disposed of was only 870,000 tons, or 3.5% of all rubble accumulated in these prefectures from the 3.11 disaster of ten months ago.

In the final disposal process, disaster waste and debris are incinerated and wind up in landfills after having reusable materials, such as wood building materials, concrete, and metals removed.

Out of 4.35 million tons of disaster induced rubble in Iwate Prefecture, only 4% was processed by the end of the year. The Miyagi Prefectural government also disposed of 4% of the prefecture’s 15.69 million tons of rubble.

In Fukushima Prefecture, the amount processed was only 0.2% of the 4.38 million tons of rubble. Debris in no-entry zones surrounding the Fukushima nuclear power plant remain untouched.

The disaster-hit prefectural governments have urged other local governments to accept disaster debris for final disposal, but other prefectures are reluctance to accept the debris.

The Miyagi Prefectural government plans to transport 3.44 million tons of waste to outside the prefecture for disposal. A prefectural government official admitted that due to concern about radioactive substances, no municipalities have agreed to accept the waste.

In order to help dispose of the enormous amount of disaster rubble, the Tokyo Metropolitan government accepted 1,000 tons of rubble from Iwate’s Miyako City for disposal in November 2011 and will receive another 11,000 tons of rubble from the city. However, this will barely put a dent in the city’s estimated 710,000 tons of debris.