There has been much controversy and discussion of late about what to do with the mountains of radioactive debris caused by the triple disasters of March last year. Many Japanese feel that we should all do our bit to help the reconstruction effort by taking the debris and disposing of it in incinerators throughout Japan.
Others, for good reason, are concerned about the possible dangers and consequences of spreading radioactive material across areas of Japan that have so far received little radiation.
Why take the risk of contaminating the nation's safe food and water supplies and urban environments if it isn't necessary? Is it really going to help people in affected areas if we spread the problem across the nation?
The solution seems so blindingly obvious that I hesitate to suggest it as I feel that I must have overlooked something that is clear to everyone else, or did I miss something?
Why don't we just dump all the tons of dangerous rubble, debris etc., somewhere in the so-called No Go Zone? Unless I am mistaken, there is a zone near the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant that will probably by uninhabitable for 30 to 40 years — and let's face it, for all we know, it could be much longer.
Why can't we dump all the dangerous stuff in the uninhabitable zone so that devastated areas can start rebuilding quickly?
The debris could be slowly disposed of at a manageable rate over years or decades, or a new facility could be constructed nearby to deal with it. I just can't see the point of even possibly contaminating this country further when it seems so unnecessary to do so.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.