Minister apologizes for remark on Fukushima nuclear soil storage

Minister apologizes for remark on Fukushima nuclear soil storage

AIZUWAKAMATSU, Japan - Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara apologizes on June 23, 2014, in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, for a remark suggesting the issue of where to store contaminated soil from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is a matter of money. He bowed to Okuma Mayor Toshitsuna Watanabe, whose town is one of the candidate sites for the construction of temporary storage facilities for the waste.

Fukushima's Okuma mayor OKs interim storage site

Fukushima's Okuma mayor OKs interim storage site

AIZUWAKAMATSU, Japan - Mayor Toshitsuna Watanabe (R) of Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, speaks in favor of building an interim nuclear waste storage facility in the northeastern Japan town at the outset of talks with the heads of the town's administrative districts held on Dec. 15, 2014, in Aizuwakamatsu where the town hall is temporarily located.

Okuma mayor wants contaminated waste stored outside pref.

Okuma mayor wants contaminated waste stored outside pref.

TOKYO, Japan - Toshitsuna Watanabe (2nd from R), mayor of Okuma Town and head of the Futaba area's town and village coalition in Fukushima Prefecture, asks Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara (L) to build outside the prefecture final disposal facilities for waste generated from decontamination work following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant at the Environment Ministry in Tokyo on June 26, 2014.

PM Noda meets mayor of town where crippled nuclear plant located

PM Noda meets mayor of town where crippled nuclear plant located

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda (R) meets with Toshitsuna Watanabe (C), mayor of the town of Okuma in Fukushima Prefecture, at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Jan. 18, 2012. Okuma is one of the municipalities where the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is located.

Fukushima mayors meet environment chief on storage of tainted waste

Fukushima mayors meet environment chief on storage of tainted waste

Futaba Mayor Shiro Izawa (far L) and Okuma Mayor Toshitsuna Watanabe (2nd from L), both from Fukushima Prefecture, meet Environment Minister Yoshio Mochizuki in Tokyo on May 28, 2015, to discuss the construction in the two northeastern Japanese towns of interim storage facilities for tainted waste collected from decontamination work following the 2011 nuclear crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi plant. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Fukushima's Okuma mayor OKs interim storage site

Fukushima's Okuma mayor OKs interim storage site

AIZUWAKAMATSU, Japan - Mayor Toshitsuna Watanabe (R) of Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, speaks in favor of building an interim nuclear waste storage facility in the northeastern Japan town at the outset of talks with the heads of the town's administrative districts held on Dec. 15, 2014, in Aizuwakamatsu where the town hall is temporarily located. (Kyodo)

Okuma mayor wants contaminated waste stored outside pref.

Okuma mayor wants contaminated waste stored outside pref.

TOKYO, Japan - Toshitsuna Watanabe (2nd from R), mayor of Okuma Town and head of the Futaba area's town and village coalition in Fukushima Prefecture, asks Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara (L) to build outside the prefecture final disposal facilities for waste generated from decontamination work following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant at the Environment Ministry in Tokyo on June 26, 2014. (Kyodo)

Minister apologizes for remark on Fukushima nuclear soil storage

Minister apologizes for remark on Fukushima nuclear soil storage

AIZUWAKAMATSU, Japan - Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara apologizes on June 23, 2014, in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, for a remark suggesting the issue of where to store contaminated soil from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is a matter of money. He bowed to Okuma Mayor Toshitsuna Watanabe, whose town is one of the candidate sites for the construction of temporary storage facilities for the waste. (Kyodo)

PM Noda meets mayor of town where crippled nuclear plant located

PM Noda meets mayor of town where crippled nuclear plant located

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda (R) meets with Toshitsuna Watanabe (C), mayor of the town of Okuma in Fukushima Prefecture, at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Jan. 18, 2012. Okuma is one of the municipalities where the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is located. (Kyodo)