Abstract
This study discusses the present status and problems of decontamination planning and activities in 52 out of the 59 municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture, that is, all municipalities except the 7 whose entire administrative area has been designated as Special Decontamination Area, one and a half years into the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster. This study concludes that (1) decontamination work based on plans are beginning to accelerate in many municipalities, (2) the progress of decontamination work varies depending on types of land use, (3) most municipalities have no prospects to secure enough temporary storage sites for contaminated soil and waste, (4) most municipalities recognize that the national government's prompt decisions about where and when to construct intermediate storage facilities and the securement of enough temporary storage sites are necessary to promote decontamination work, (5) the majority of municipalities regard efforts concerning decontamination work by the national government and Fukushima prefectural government as inadequate, and (6) the majority of municipalities believe that safe living environments will be recovered by decontamination work.
