Scientist on mission to prove grass can be greener

BY MISUZU SATO STAFF WRITER

2011/08/05

An experiment on cutting grass deeply as opposed to removing from the roots is conducted in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture. (Kengo Hiyoshi)

KORIYAMA, Fukushima Prefecture--Mention grass to scientist Mitsuo Kondo and he gets excited.

On Aug. 4, the professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture conducted an experiment to decontaminate irradiated grass in Fukushima Prefecture.

Kondo used Ose Park in Koriyama, about 60 kilometers east of the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, for the experiment.

Kondo's method involves mowing grass so deeply that the roots are barely spared.

His effort is part of the prefectural government's campaign to mitigate the impact of radiation on people's lives.

First, radiation levels were measured in the 160-meter-square area picked for the experiment. Then the grass was mowed deeper than usual.

Kondo said the "deep-mowing" method should lower radiation levels to one-third of the level before cutting.

He said he will continue to try to come up with better ideas to preserve sites with grass while at the same time decontaminating those areas.