By MARI YAMAGUCHI

TOKYO (AP) — Japan said Tuesday it plans to use some slightly radioactive soil stored near the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant on flower beds at Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s office to show it is safe to reuse.

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The soil was removed from across the Fukushima prefecture as part of decontamination work following the 2011 nuclear disaster and has since been in interim storage. Some of it has since reached levels safe enough for reuse, officials say.

Using the soil at Ishiba’s office in Tokyo is aimed at reassuring the public it is safe. The government said that it plans to reuse the soil for flower beds and other purposes within the grounds of government agencies. The plan is based on guidelines set by the Environment Ministry in March and endorsed by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The timing and other details for the soil use still need to be worked out and the government is expected to compile a roadmap for the project around the summer.

The Fukushima disaster resulted in large amounts of radioactive materials spewing out from the plant, polluting surrounding areas, leaving some areas still uninhabitable and requiring further decontamination work.

FILE – This aerial view shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima, northern Japan, on Aug. 24, 2023. (Kyodo News via AP, File)

Japan is stuck with large volumes of the dirt, chopped trees and other debris collected during intensive decontamination work. It has 14 million cubic meters of dirt and other materials — enough to fill 11 baseball stadiums — stored at a sprawling outdoor facility straddling the towns of Futaba and Okuma, near the Fukushima plant. The soil does not include any from inside the plant.

The government has pledged to find disposal sites for the soil outside of the prefecture by 2045, with officials suggesting low risk material could be used to build roads and in other public works projects across the country.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, at the soil task force meeting, called for a government-wide effort to promote understanding for the soil use for reconstruction projects and to show good examples, starting with the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Environment Ministry said that the soil will be used as foundation material and safely covered with top soil thick enough to keep radiation at negligible levels.

FILE – Black garbage bags filled with radioactivity waste are kept temporally in a field in Minamisoma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan Saturday, March 11, 2017. (Kota Endo/Kyodo News via AP, File)

But there is much public unease. The government has already been forced to discontinue a plan to experiment using some of the soil in flower beds at several public parks in and around Tokyo following protests.

The IAEA is providing assistance with the Fukushima decommissioning process, which requires removing more than 880 tons of melted fuel debris.

In 2023 Japan began discharging treated radioactive wastewater from the plant into the sea to reduce the risk of accidental leaks and to make space to build facilities needed for melted fuel removal.

While St. Paul and Minneapolis will provide the primary venues for the 2026 World Juniors, organizers talked from the get-go of efforts to make the tournament an event that celebrates hockey all across the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota.

Those efforts became more real on Thursday with the announcement that arenas in Bemidji, Duluth, Mankato and Rochester will host pre-tournament games in December.

While the specific schedule and ticket information will be revealed at a later date, WJC organizers said they expect teams from all 10 participating nations to play in what is being dubbed the World Juniors Pre-Tournament Series. The arenas will be the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Amsoil Arena in Duluth, the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato and the Rochester Rec Center.

“We are excited for the communities of Bemidji, Duluth, Mankato and Rochester to be part of the 50th edition of this iconic international hockey tournament,” Pat Kelleher, executive director of USA Hockey, said in a statement. “We know fans and volunteers in each community will take immense pride in welcoming the world, and we look forward to seeing the excitement build as the 10 teams prepare to compete for gold in the capital of the State of Hockey.”

The tournament, which involves the top male players aged 20 and under from around the world, begins on Dec. 26 and concludes with the gold medal game on Jan. 5. The participating nations are Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

Russia remains banned from participation in World Juniors and other international competition by the International Ice Hockey Federation due to the on-going war in Ukraine.

Xcel Energy Center will be the primary site, with 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis hosting other tournament games. This will be the third time Minnesota has been host to all or part of the tournament, with the Twin Cities serving as the primary site in 1982, and Thief River Falls, Minn., serving as the secondary site in 2005.

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Entering an offseason in which he’s set to likely decline his $15 million player option for next season and enter free agency, Naz Reid is ready for more.

More money, more responsibility, more playing time.

The question is whether he can find that with the Timberwolves.

That’s the plan. Reid has spent the first six years of his NBA career with the organization after signing with the Wolves as an undrafted free agent in 2019. His name has become a symbol of hope in these parts, as fans chant it, wave towels sporting it and even have it tattooed on their bodies.

The 2024 NBA Sixth Man of the Year is a Minnesota icon at the ripe age of 25.

Reid has always been comfortable here. He’s best friends with teammate Jaden McDaniels. He knows how pivotal the Timberwolves have been in his developmental process and appreciates that he can win at a high level here. It’s why Reid has no designs on skipping town.

“I’ve been here for six years, and I don’t plan on doing anything differently,” Reid said immediately after the Game 5 loss on Wednesday in Oklahoma City that ended Minnesota’s season in the Western Conference Finals. “Hopefully, it’s the same way, same feeling on the other side.”

Well, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch stated the organization’s intention is to bring all three of its potential pending free agents — Reid, Julius Randle and Nickeil Alexander-Walker — back next season. But that’s not all in Minnesota’s control.

Reid will have the final say on his landing spot. A 25-year-old big man with his vast offensive skillset figures to have numerous suitors this summer. He stated Thursday he plans on opting out of the final year of the deal he signed with Minnesota two offseasons ago — with what looked to be a discount at the time — with the intention of inking a longer-term contract likely featuring a big raise.

“I think that’s what the future looks like for me,” he said.

But exactly what would a future look like in Minnesota? Frankly, even Finch doesn’t know. NBA rosters are changing more often than ever before. McDaniels noted he thought Minnesota was going to “run it back” last offseason, then dealt Karl-Anthony Towns on the eve of training camp.

“We don’t know what the roster will look like, so I’m not really going to get into forecasting what our starting lineup is going to look like in October right now,” Finch said. “So, we’ll just have to see. And the first thing is obviously get those guys happy and re-signed.”

As of Thursday morning, Reid noted he hadn’t yet spoken with Timberwolves brass about his potential role on next year’s team. And role, he admitted, will play a part in his decision of where to sign this summer.

Finch noted Reid’s role with the Wolves has grown each season. But if Minnesota brings back Randle and Rudy Gobert, it would seem Reid would again come off the bench. That’s a product of being on a team that, as Finch said this season, had eight starter-quality players.

Reid was again one of the best reserves in the NBA this season. But is that still enough for the big man?

“Obviously, with each year that you grow, your expectations get higher,” he said.

Reid admitted he views himself as a starter in the NBA, though he said he’s “not completely ruling out” returning to Minnesota in a reserve role.

“It will be a lot to think about around that, for sure,” Reid said. “If you want to be in a winning position, sometimes you might have to sacrifice. So, I definitely view myself as a starter, but things happen, things change. You never know what’s ahead of you until you talk about it and until you go through it.”

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SEATTLE — The Twins made a minor roster move on Thursday, setting the stage for a bigger one on Friday.

Rookie outfielder Carson McCusker has been optioned back to Triple-A St. Paul, per the team’s transaction log, after a brief stay in the majors that saw him go 1 for 6 while collecting his first-career hit on Wednesday in Tampa. His demotion signals that the Twins are preparing to add another outfielder to the active roster before they kick off their series against the Mariners on Friday night at 9:10 p.m. CT.

That move is likely to be reinstating Byron Buxton, who has been on the concussion injured list. Right fielder Matt Wallner, who has been out since mid-April with a hamstring strain, is also near a return, which is likely to come on this road trip.

Getting one — or both back — could provide a huge lift for the Twins, who at no point this season have had their entire position-player group healthy. Luke Keaschall remains out with a fractured forearm until late June at the earliest, but Buxton and Wallner returning would mean the full group they expected to break camp with this spring is healthy.

Buxton has been out since May 15, the day he collided with shortstop Carlos Correa in Baltimore while making a play on a Cedric Mullins fly ball. Correa returned last weekend after a minimum stay on the seven-day concussion list, but it’s taken longer for Buxton, who has dealt with concussions previously.

Prior to that point, Buxton had played in nearly every game. His 1.8 bWAR (Wins Above Replacement per Baseball Reference) is tied for first among Twins position players with Harrison Bader. His 10 home runs lead the Twins, and his 27 RBIs are second on the team behind just Ty France.

As for Wallner, at the time of his injury, he had been among Twins’ the most-productive hitters during a slow start to the season for much of the offense. Wallner was hitting .263 with a .847 OPS and a 137 OPS+, a number that is 37 percent better than the league-average hitter. The right fielder, who has been rehabbing with the Saints since last week, kicked off his rehab assignment by hitting a pair of home runs and has continued to crush Triple-A pitching since then.

Their imminent returns are exciting for the Twins, who have managed to play well even without that duo in the lineup.

“The group of guys we have, the depth that we have, is super important and has shown over this time with them all down,” catcher Ryan Jeffers said over the weekend. “We’ve played some of the best baseball we’ve played with some of our best players not in the lineup.

“Yeah, we’re super excited to get our guys and be able to send our A lineup out there more often, but health is part of the game and having depth keeps the good teams afloat.”

Briefly

After the Twins’ off day on Thursday, they will return to action on Friday night in Seattle with Zebby Matthews on the mound. Matthews took a step forward in his last start, striking out a career-high nine batters in four innings pitched.

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