The Ready-Mixed Concrete Union of Southern Iwate held a study session on the ILC in a hotel in Ichinoseki City on July 18th, in hopes of getting involved with the construction of the ILC. There, workers learned about the latest developments in the project as well as an outline of the construction of the ILC tunnel.

About 70 workers from concrete businesses in southern Iwate and Miyagi prefectures were in attendance. Hisashi Odaira, Senior Executive Director of the Iwate Prefecture Office of Science and ILC Promotion, gave a presentation on the latest developments of the ILC as well as the master plan for developing the region around the project. After explaining what the ILC would be used to study, and how Tohoku and Iwate were preparing to receive the project, he also talked about the Panel of Experts that deliberated on the project for the national government. “We need the understanding of the people of Japan in order to get the national government to make a decision on the ILC. In order to do that, the region of Tohoku needs to join together as one to spread information as well as train workers in industries that are related to ILC.”

Masakazu Yoshioka, professor emeritus at KEK, talked about the economic effects of the ILC and the outline of the tunnel the accelerator would be placed in. He also talked about how lumber products could be used to construct buildings and other facilities related to the ILC.

The director of the union said, “I would like for us in the concrete field to work with the gravel industry and other related fields to figure out specific ways for us to get involved with the ILC.”