Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura

• A meeting of the Ministerial Meeting on the Advancement of Disaster Waste Management (the compilation of a timetable for the disposal of disaster waste)

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA:

(Abridged)

I made a statement first concerning a meeting of the Ministerial Meeting on the Advancement of Disaster Waste Management, which was held before the Cabinet meeting. This was the fourth meeting of the Ministerial Meeting. At the outset, the Minister of the Environment reported on the compilation of a timetable for the disposal of disaster waste that has resulted from the Great East Japan Earthquake. In addition to the existing target to complete the disposal by the end of FY2013, the timetable newly set forth a mid-term target to complete 60% of the disposal by the end of FY2012, that is, March of next year, in the coastal areas of Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures, which has much of the disaster waste. Next, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism reported on initiatives for promoting the recycling of disaster waste. Lastly, in light of these reports, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda made a statement concerning the implementation of the timetable for disaster waste disposal with respect to mainly the following three items:

1. The progress of the disposal in the coastal areas of Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures needs to be gauged, and measures necessary to achieve the targets need to be implemented.
2. Appreciation is extended to the many municipalities which gave a favorable consideration to the acceptance of wide-area disposal, thanks to which significant progress has been achieved. The Government must continue to make every effort to promote wide-area disposal.
3. As disaster waste is steadily re-utilized in reconstruction work, the Government must continue to make efforts to expand the recycling of disaster waste.

The Government will continue to make concerted efforts to move the initiatives forward without stopping the process toward the recovery and reconstruction of the disaster-afflicted areas.

Q&As

(Abridged)