Measures Concerning Handling of Radioactive Pollution. The specified policy for decontamination methods for soil and other materials in places with relatively high additional exposure includes scraping soil surfaces, cleaning buildings, cleaning street gutters, artificial pruning, and removing deciduous leaves.

## (3) Disposal of Wastes Contaminated by Accident-Based Radioactive Materials

As a rule, waste potentially contaminated by accident-based radioactive materials will be disposed of according to the Act on Special Measures Concerning Handling of Radioactive Pollution and the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law. In addition to methods for disposing of waste contaminated by radioactive materials, the Act on SMCHRP indicates the following classifications: specified waste, specified general waste, and specified industrial waste.

## a) Specified Waste

Based on the Act on Special Measures Concerning Handling of Radioactive Pollution, specified waste is classified into: waste in areas where measures for contaminated waste are to be taken (referred to as “waste in areas subject to countermeasures”); and specified waste.

The waste in areas subject to countermeasures is the waste to be disposed of by the central government based on the disposal plans for those areas.

Specified waste is defined as waste contaminated by radioactive materials at a level that requires special management. Specified waste is disposed of by the central government. The designation procedure is as follows: a facility manager conducts a survey on the contamination of waste discharged from facilities that satisfy certain requirements (water facilities, sewage water pipes, industrial water facilities, waste disposal facilities, and village drainage facilities); a report is delivered to the Minister of the Environment; and specifications are issued based on the survey report in the above. Specifically, the concentration of radioactive cesium in waste designated as specified waste by the Minister of the Environment must exceed 8,000 Bq/kg (Table 2-4-4). Also, when the owner of the waste believes that the concentration of radioactive cesium is over 8,000 Bq/kg as a result of a contamination survey performed on it, the owner can apply to Minister of the Environment to receive the designation of specified waste.

The specified waste described above will be disposed of according to certain standards, including collection and disposal standards, storage standards, intermediate processing standards, and landfill standards, based on Article 20 of the Act on Special Measures Concerning Handling of Radioactive Pollution. These standards are defined to limit radiation exposure to local residents to not more than 1 mSv per year in the course of disposal to ensure their safety. The necessary measures (specifically, shielding radiation, preventing contamination of public water and groundwater, managing exhaust gas from facilities, and managing drained water) are accurately checked to ensure that the standards are met (Figure 2-4-4).

b) Waste Contaminated by Accident-Based Radioactive Materials Other than Specified Waste

Article 23 of the Act on Special Measures Concerning Handling of Radioactive Pollution stipulates that parties disposing of waste contaminated or potentially contaminated by accident-based radioactive materials (specified general waste and specified industrial waste) must observe specific disposal standards, in addition to waste disposal standards from the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Act.

Waste materials defined as specified general waste and specified industrial waste are:

(1) Waste produced as a result of measures for soil decontamination in specified decontamination areas or areas to be decontaminated;

(2) Sludge and incineration ash discharged from water facilities, sewage terminal treatment facilities, incineration facilities, and so on;

(3) Paddy straw or compost turned into waste as a result of contamination from accident-based radioactive materials; and

(4) Materials used to dispose of the waste in (1) through (3) above that do not fall into any of the above categories.

These specified disposal standards are designed as precautionary measures to further secure safety by applying the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Act also to disaster waste containing 8,000 Bq/kg or less of radioactive cesium.

The specified disposal standards consist of collection and transportation standards, intermediate processing standards, and landfill standards as follows;

The specified disposal standards for collection and transportation stipulate that in cases of transshipment or storage of specified general waste or specified industrial waste, the waste must be stored in a location that displays a notice board satisfying the necessary requirements.

Specified disposal standards are stipulated for intermediate processing such as incineration and other treatments for specified general waste or specified industrial waste (incineration, melting, thermal decomposition, and calcination). The treatments include high-end exhaust gas treatment facilities, such as filter dust collection devices.

Landfill disposal standards stipulate landfill methods for specified general waste and specified industrial waste, such as installing soil layers or stratified landfill.

The standards further stipulate that specific maintenance standards based on Article 24 of the Act on Special Measures Concerning Handling of Radioactive Pollutant must be applied in incineration facilities for disposal of specified general waste and specified industrial waste in certain areas, whether they are actually used for waste disposal

or not. In this way, radioactive material concentrations in exhaust gas or drained water can be measured at least once a month, and air dose rates at the boundary of the sites can be measured at least once a week.

In addition, specific maintenance standards shall be applied to landfill sites for specified general waste and specified industrial waste. Accordingly, radioactive material concentrations in groundwater and discharged water shall be measured at least once a month, and air dose rates shall be measured once a week or more.

(4) Institutional Improvement for

Decontamination and Polluted Waste Disposal

Decontamination and disposal of contaminated waste must be implemented while further improving the system in collaboration with the Reconstruction Agency and Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters.

The Ministry of the Environment has established the Fukushima Environment Rehabilitation Office to promote decontamination and disposal of contaminated waste in Fukushima Prefecture, associated with full-scale enforcement of the Act on Special Measures Concerning

## 4 Response to Low Dose Exposure

(1) Organizing and Reviewing the Knowledge about Risk Management of Low Dose Exposure

In the radioactive pollution countermeasures taken after the accident at the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi NPS, it is necessary to appropriately manage the risk associated with low dose exposure. In order to deal with this risk, the Working Group for Low Dose Exposure Risk Management under an advisory conference for radioactive material measures was established based on a request from the Minister for the Restoration from and Prevention of Nuclear Accidents as a place to arrange scientific knowledge and assessment from home and abroad, to find problems Handling of Radioactive Pollution on January 1, 2011.

Fukushima Prefecture and the Ministry of the Environment dispatch decontamination professionals when requested to do so by municipalities. Furthermore, a Decontamination Information Plaza was established as a base for gathering and disseminating information on the activities of decontamination volunteers. The plaza is jointly operated by the central government, Fukushima Prefecture, and other institutions and groups involved. Service at the plaza began on January 20, 2012, accepting requests for the dispatch of decontamination professionals via telephone or email. These decontamination professionals consist of volunteers supported by institutions and groups involved in radiation, such as academic societies.

Moreover, since December 2011, the Ministry of the Environment and Fukushima Prefecture have been holding workshops on decontamination operations, in order to ensure that the operators of decontamination businesses and people in related organizations acquire the rules and basic knowledge for safe and appropriate operations, and can provide special education or instruction as necessary in the respective operational areas. Until April 2012, workshops were held 60 times; and 13,000 people completed.

in the affected area, and to discuss future directions regarding countermeasures. During eight public sessions, professionals and experts from Japan and abroad, with broad and competing opinions on the impact of a low dose exposure, and administration officials held public in-depth discussions regarding the three topic areas noted below. The proceedings were published on December 22, 2011.

a) The impact on health of low dose exposure of 20 mSv/year or less (criteria to review evacuation areas)

It is considered difficult to verify significant increases

Figure 2-4-4 Examples of Storage of Specified Waste and Transportation Vehicles

Example to store 8,000 Bq/kg or higher incineration ash

Source: Ministry of the Environment, “Guidelines for specified waste” (December 2011, first edition) Partially revised edition