Ⅰ-1．Appropriate treatment and disposal of disaster waste and waste contaminated by radioactive substance

In order to deal with the issues associated with the large volumes of disaster waste generated in the earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011, the “Disaster Response Network”, comprising specialists in relevant fields, was created immediately following the disaster. This network collects and manages information and know-how in response to the various technical issues arising, and drafts and provides a range of technical information to support on-site response by the Ministry of the Environment and local authorities in the disaster zone. These include methodologies for the treatment of waste containing saline matter; dealing with Tsunami deposits; and prevention of fires in flammable waste at temporary disposal sites.

In addition, NIES carried out emergency studies and research - including those on the appropriate treatment of rubble covered by seawater; Tsunami deposits; and prevention of fires in temporary disposal sites. These were subsequently reflected in directives of the Ministry of the Environment. We also dispatched researchers to the patrol teams organized by the Ministry of the Environment and implemented studies and provided technical counsel for specific topics such as the prevention of fires in temporary disposal sites, etc.

We have made optimal use of our know-how, experience and networks in the field of waste management research in order to deal with the issues associated with the treatment and disposal of the large volumes and varieties of waste contaminated by radioactive substances and which are spread over large areas. We continue to implement field studies and research on the appropriate treatment and disposal of waste contaminated with radioactive Cesium, including those covering: physical characteristics and prediction of combustion dynamics; adsorption capacity assessments for soil, etc; modeling and predictions for land-fill sites and layer dynamics; assessment of treatment technologies for contaminated leachate; and standardization of measurement and analysis methods.

The know-how and outcomes resulting from these studies and activities were provided in a timely fashion to the Ministry of the Environment’s Disaster Waste Safety Evaluation Committee and are being used in technical standards and guidelines based on the Act on Special Measures Concerning the Handling of Radioactive Pollution.

In addition, the outcomes of these various initiatives have been summarized in the technical document “Proper treatment of wastes contaminated by radioactive substances”. We have made this document available on our homepage alongside an easily-understandable overview. This document is being actively applied by the central government, local authorities, and stakeholders in related enterprises.