Friday, March 16, 2012
One Municipality After Another Says YES to Disaster Debris Contaminated with Radioactive Materials
The likes of Mr. Blustein must be so happy to see the "kizuna" (it's actually the rope that ties down the cattle or domestic animals) restored at least among petty politicians and bureaucrats in cities, towns, and villages as far away as Okinawa and Hokkaido, even as the "selfish" and "irrational" residents who will have to pay taxes to have the debris burn in their midst are against it.
In anywhere else in the world, these debris would be considered "low-level radioactive waste" and would be strictly controlled.
The municipalities that suddenly "capitulated" this week, particularly on March 16 when Prime Minister Noda formally issued the request to accept the debris to municipalities who haven't said yes to the debris, are too numerous to list. Even the last true "opposition" since the March 11, 2011 disaster, Japanese Communist Party, sided with the majority demanding the municipal governments of Niigata City in Niigata Prefecture and Kiryu City in Gunma Prefecture to accept the disaster debris from Miyagi and Iwate.
Money really does speak. Hop on the bandwagon. Local politicians have the local waste management industry lobby to please.
Here are some of the latest "yes" to radioactive tsunami/earthquake debris:
Hokkaido:
Okushiri-cho (island off the coast of southwestern Hokkaido, in Japan Sea)
Okinawa:
Onna-son (in the middle of Okinawa Island, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Okinawa)
Niigata:
Niigata City (whose vice mayor is a career bureaucrat from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)
(Niigata already has 4 other cities eagerly waiting for the debris, even though the governor of Niigata Prefecture is dead set against receiving the debris in Niigata.)
Gunma:
Kiryu City
Chiba:
Ichikawa City (right outside Tokyo)
Hiroshima:
Kure City (famous for really good oysters and lemon)
Hiroshima City
Mie:
Taki-cho (green tea, Matsuzaka beef)
Now what? I wonder what the residents of Japan are going to do now, if anything at all. They have protested, packed the "explanation" meetings which were nothing but a sham to keep up the appearance of "democracy", collected signatures to oppose acceptance and tried educating the fellow citizens and a few politicians who would listen. The politicians and bureaucrats and industry will just do it anyway.
In anywhere else in the world, these debris would be considered "low-level radioactive waste" and would be strictly controlled.
The municipalities that suddenly "capitulated" this week, particularly on March 16 when Prime Minister Noda formally issued the request to accept the debris to municipalities who haven't said yes to the debris, are too numerous to list. Even the last true "opposition" since the March 11, 2011 disaster, Japanese Communist Party, sided with the majority demanding the municipal governments of Niigata City in Niigata Prefecture and Kiryu City in Gunma Prefecture to accept the disaster debris from Miyagi and Iwate.
Money really does speak. Hop on the bandwagon. Local politicians have the local waste management industry lobby to please.
Here are some of the latest "yes" to radioactive tsunami/earthquake debris:
Hokkaido:
Okushiri-cho (island off the coast of southwestern Hokkaido, in Japan Sea)
Okinawa:
Onna-son (in the middle of Okinawa Island, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Okinawa)
Niigata:
Niigata City (whose vice mayor is a career bureaucrat from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)
(Niigata already has 4 other cities eagerly waiting for the debris, even though the governor of Niigata Prefecture is dead set against receiving the debris in Niigata.)
Gunma:
Kiryu City
Chiba:
Ichikawa City (right outside Tokyo)
Hiroshima:
Kure City (famous for really good oysters and lemon)
Hiroshima City
Mie:
Taki-cho (green tea, Matsuzaka beef)
Now what? I wonder what the residents of Japan are going to do now, if anything at all. They have protested, packed the "explanation" meetings which were nothing but a sham to keep up the appearance of "democracy", collected signatures to oppose acceptance and tried educating the fellow citizens and a few politicians who would listen. The politicians and bureaucrats and industry will just do it anyway.
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