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Japanese Cabinet OKs Bill to Let State Handle Tsunami Debris Cleanup |
| Source: |
search.japantimes.co.jp |
| Source Date: |
Saturday, July 09, 2011 |
| Focus: |
ICT for MDGs
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| Country: |
Japan |
| Created: |
Jul 12, 2011 |
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The Cabinet approved a bill Friday to enable the central government to remove and dispose of debris from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster on behalf of afflicted municipalities upon their request, a measure that local authorities have repeatedly called for.
Under the bill, 148 municipalities in nine prefectures affected by the disaster will be eligible for government help to expedite clearing of the massive amounts of rubble, as well as wrecked vehicles and ships. But local authorities will still need to shoulder part of the cleanup costs.
There is an estimated 21.8 million tons of debris in the hardest-hit coastal areas of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures alone, which is obstructing reconstruction work and affecting residents' daily lives as accumulated rubble has become a breeding ground for pests.
"We hope to have this legislation passed without delay as it would enable the cleanup of debris to speed up tremendously," Environment Minister Satsuki Eda told a news conference.
At deliberations in the Diet, the ruling and opposition camps are likely to tussle over the financial burdens faced by the different municipalities. The Liberal Democratic Party and other opposition parties, which have already jointly submitted a similar bill to the Diet, want the government to bear the entire cost for the cleanup.
Eda said that while the government will uphold the fundamental principle that it is the municipalities' job to handle waste disposal, financial assistance will be given such as through tax allocations to ease their burden.
Mountains of rubble remain in the tsunami-hit areas as many municipalities are stretched beyond their capacity in coping with the aftermath of the catastrophe.
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Japanese Cabinet OKs Bill to Let State Handle Tsunami Debris Cleanup The Cabinet approved a bill Friday to enable the central government to remove and dispose of debris from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster on behalf of afflicted municipalities upon their request a measure that local authorities have repeatedly called for
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