Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura

(Abridged)

Q&As

• The wide-area disposal of debris from the disaster-affected regions (the trial disposal in Kitakyushu City)

(Abridged)

REPORTER: I have a question regarding the debris from the earthquake and tsunami. As the Government seeks cooperation for the wide-area disposal, trial incineration will be starting in Kitakyushu City in western Japan. Can you discuss your thoughts on this as well as your outlook on achieving the goal of completing the disposal by March 2014?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: The Government, including the Prime Minister, asked the entire nation to cooperate with the wide-area disposal, and a number of areas have indicated that they will respond to our request. In this context, I believe it has been announced that from tomorrow to May 25, disaster waste from Ishinomaki will be disposed on a trial basis in Kitakyushu City. Kitakyushu City has said that it is thinking of accepting a total of under 40,000 tons I believe. I believe this trial disposal for the time being will incinerate around 80 tons. Through confirming all aspects of safety related to transport, incineration, and landfill and so on, we hope that this will lead to full-scale acceptance. As this is also the first case of disposing debris from Ishinomaki City, which has overwhelmingly a lot of debris, I believe the trial disposal is very significant. In order to achieve the goal of completing the disposal of disaster waste from the disaster area by March 2014, the Government still needs to continue to ask for cooperation with the wide-area disposal. While continuing to ask for cooperation, the Government would like to achieve the goal of completing the disposal by the end of March 2014.

(Abridged)