Overview
- The government decided Tuesday to begin using decontamination soil for small landscaping projects at central government branch offices in Sendai’s Aoba Ward and Saitama’s Chuo Ward, with about 2 cubic meters allocated initially.
- This is the first reuse outside Tokyo apart from demonstration projects in Fukushima and follows use at 12 Tokyo sites, including the prime minister’s office, that began in July 2025.
- Roughly 14.4 million cubic meters of removed soil and waste are stored at interim facilities in Okuma and Futaba and the government aims to recycle about 75 percent of lower‑radioactivity soil for public works.
- Local reactions vary: Sendai’s mayor said he does not expect problems, while Saitama’s governor and mayor asked the government to publish monitoring test results and win residents’ understanding before proceeding.
- Officials say the expansion is meant to build public trust and cut stored volumes while candidate final‑disposal sites are not expected to be selected until around 2030–2035 and all interim material must leave Fukushima by March 2045.