除染作業―工程表作りを急げ

2011/08/30
--The Asahi Shimbun, Aug. 28
EDITORIAL: Japan needs to quickly compile road map for decontamination.
除染作業―工程表作りを急げ

The Japanese government has finally decided on a basic framework on how to proceed with the decontamination process of radioactive materials spewed from the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
　福島第一原発の事故でまき散らされた放射性物質の除去（除染）について、政府がようやく基本方針を決め、きのう地元自治体に説明した。

The government's plan, explained to local governments on Aug. 27, is to halve the residents' exposure within two years, and in the case of children, to reduce it by 60 percent by conducting thorough decontamination procedures in schools and school routes.
　２年で住民の被曝（ひばく）線量を半減させ、子どもについては、学校や通学路などの除染を徹底して６割減らす。

The center of the plan is to "reduce, step-by-step and rapidly" the number of areas that will measure 20 millisieverts and higher annually.
そして年間の被曝線量が２０ミリシーベルト以上の地域を「段階的かつ迅速に縮小」させるのが柱だ。

However, such a target will not put the residents' minds at ease.
　しかし、こんな目標では、住民はとても安心できないのではないか。

The government estimates that even without actively doing anything, the amount of radiation exposure will decrease about 40 percent in two years due to rain and wind.
何もしなくても、雨や風で２年後には約４割減る、というのが政府の試算である。

It is too unambitious for the government to say it will achieve only an additional 10-20 percent reduction on its own.
上乗せ分が１～２割というのはあまりに低い目標だ。

Moreover, the latest framework plan does not tell us, even broadly, when the evacuees can return to their normal lives.
　しかも、今回の基本方針だけでは、避難している人たちがいつごろ元の生活に戻れるのか、大まかなメドも分からない。

The important thing is to have a comprehensive strategy.
　大事なのは、総合的な戦略である。

To that end, it is essential to closely ascertain the exact situation of the contamination.
　そのために、まず汚染の詳しい実態の把握が不可欠だ。

We need to measure it in detail, covering sections whose sides are 100 to 500 meters long.
１００～５００メートル四方くらいの細かさで調べる必要がある。

People evacuated from their homes are also hoping to learn the radiation levels around their houses.
避難している人たちも自宅周辺の汚染の程度を知りたがっている。

On Aug. 27, Prime Minister Naoto Kan apologized to the Fukushima prefectural governor of the possibility that residents of some areas close to the Fukushima nuclear plant will be unable to return to their houses for a long time.
　菅首相はきのう、福島県知事に対し、原発の近くでは長期間帰れない場合が出てくると述べて、事故について陳謝した。

Of course, it may be possible that in areas with the worst levels of contamination, residents may be forced to give up ever returning to their homes.
　確かに汚染のひどい所では、事実上、帰ることを断念せざるを得ない場合もあるかもしれない。

However, the residents can hardly accept that without sufficient data and some kind of yardstick.
しかし、その基準とデータが示されないままでは、住民は納得できないだろう。

Along with figuring out the actual state of the contamination, the government needs to calculate the cost of the decontamination process and the available level of manpower.
　汚染の実態把握と並行して、除染作業にかかるコストや投入できる人員をはじき出す。

Based on those assessments, the government must hurry to put together a road map that indicates the grand design, and spell out where the process will begin, how it will be conducted and how much time it will take.
そのうえで、どの地域からどう進めていくのか、どの程度の時間がかかりそうか、国は全体像を示す工程表作りを急がなければならない。

Besides, the decontamination work itself must not be haphazard.
　実際の作業も、ばらばらではいけない。

In addition to households, public institutions like schools, roads, as well as farms and nearby forests must also be watched. Otherwise, there is no way residents can return to their normal lives.
住宅に加え、学校などの公共施設や道路、さらに田畑や周辺の森林にも目を配らなければ、住民は安心して元の生活に戻ることはできない。

One major obstacle to the decontamination process is where to store the contaminated topsoil once it is removed.
　一方、除染を進めるうえで大きな障害となっているのが、はぎとった土などの保管場所だ。

According to the framework plan, each local government is to set up a temporary storage place, and the central government will be responsible for securing a disposal site.
基本方針では、各自治体に仮置き場を設け、処分場は国の責任で確保することになっている。

However, Prime Minister Kan told the Fukushima governor that the central government has no choice but to create the "intermediate storage facility" within Fukushima Prefecture.
　ところが、菅首相は福島県知事に対し、同県内に「中間貯蔵施設」を整備せざるを得ないと述べた。

Suddenly talking about a new storage facility at this point will only create confusion.
今の段階で、唐突に新たな保管施設のことを持ち出しても、混乱を招くばかりだ。

Decontamination is not an easy matter, including securing the disposal site.
　処分場の確保も含め、除染は簡単な問題ではない。

The plan must be scrupulous, while also being meticulous about procedure.
きちんと手順を踏みつつ、綿密に計画を作る。

And the process must be done swiftly.
同時に作業は急がなければならない。