Fukushima towns struggle to store radioactive waste

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/29/japan-nuclear-waste-idUSL4E7LS04D20111029

By Yoko Kubota

TOKYO | Sat Oct 29, 2011 4:40am EDT

TOKYO Oct 29 (Reuters) - Japanese officials in towns around the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant reacted guardedly to plans announced on Saturday to build facilities to store radioactive waste from the clean-up around the plant within three years. snip

The plume of radioactive materials that leaked from the plant was carried by wind and deposited widely in eastern Japan with rain and snow.

Japan aims to halve radiation over two years in places contaminated by the crisis. To do so, it may have to remove and dispose of massive amounts of radioactive soil, possibly enough to fill 23 baseball stadiums.

Towns near the crippled nuclear plant have barely been able to start cleaning up until now because they have been unable to convince residents about where to store the radioactive waste.