Japan is preparing to take another step in its long-running effort to manage soil removed during the cleanup of areas affected by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. The government has decided to begin reusing decontamination soil at government facilities in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, and Saitama, marking the first such use outside Tokyo apart from demonstration projects in Fukushima itself. The Environment Ministry plans to use the material in flowerbeds at government buildings in the two cities. The move is part of a broader government policy aimed at reducing the enormous volume of soil currently held at interim storage facilities in Fukushima. Authorities are working towards a legal deadline requiring final disposal outside Fukushima Prefecture by March 2045. The decision also places greater emphasis on demonstrating the proposed reuse of treated soil in locations beyond the disaster-affected region, while addressing public concerns over its safety.
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