JOIN USOn radiation-tainted soil and rubble to be removed in the process of the decontamination efforts, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said the government will stick to its initial plan to build a facility to store the material in Fukushima Prefecture before taking it to a final disposal site.
Fujimura, the top government spokesman, said that the government will discuss the construction of such a storage facility further with local governments in the prefecture, with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda eager to explain the matter to residents in the area.
When Noda's predecessor, Naoto Kan, last month suddenly unveiled to Fukushima Governor Yuhei Sato the idea of setting up such a facility during their talks in the city of Fukushima, the governor expressed displeasure, saying, "It's an abrupt proposal. We are very much baffled."
A government official said that the USD 2.84 billion comes from the USD 10.34 billion set aside in the second extra budget for fiscal 2011 as reserve funds for spending related to restoration efforts from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.