The disposal of debris in Fukushima Prefecture from the March 2011 calamities will not be completed by the end of fiscal 2013, as originally planned, the Environment Ministry admitted Tuesday.
According to the ministry, the magnitude 9.0 quake and the monstrous waves it spawned generated 25.9 million tons of rubble in the three worst-affected prefectures in Tohoku — Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. In response, the government set a deadline for completing the removal process by the March 2014 end of this fiscal year.
But while Miyagi and Iwate are likely to meet this target, Fukushima hasn't been able to keep pace, mainly because the ensuing nuclear crisis has severely hindered and delayed cleanup efforts.
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