- Antinuclear lawsuits have become common in Japan, but this one is a reversal. Industry Minister Toshimitsu Motegi announced the government intends to file a lawsuit against the Tokyo antinukes. Many demonstrators have been pitching tents on Ministry property for each weekend’s protest against restarting nukes. Some tents are left up all week long. They government has asked the demonstrators to take the tents down, but they have refused. A settlement through the civil court seems needed to remove the tents from federal property. (Kyodo News)
- Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology says there might still be radioactive leaks from Fukushima Daiichi to the sea. Tests of the waters from the F. Daiichi docking port (quay) show levels of Cesium contamination slightly in excess of 100 Becquerels per liter, the national standard for open water. They have been testing the waters since June, 2011. Their numbers show a total Cesium release 73 times the standard since they began testing. The group stresses this level won’t threaten sea creatures outside the docking port, but could affect those inside the quay. Researcher Jota Kanda says it is unlike to be due to rainwater run-off. He cited two possibilities: groundwater flow into the sea or damaged piping that has escaped Tepco’s investigations. Tepco has been running a sea-sampling program since 3/11/11 and feels there is no leakage at this point. Tepco says the reasons for the Tokyo group’s finding have not been established. The investigation will continue. (NHK World)
- Nuclear critics continue to foment distrust of the Japanese government. For two years, nuclear critics have fueled doubt as to the honesty of the Tokyo government and Japan’s nuclear community. Now, the critics say people should also distrust international nuclear experts. Nuclear opponents believe that the Fukushima accident recovery should bring in a wider spectrum of “experts” whose views run counter to bureaucrats, engineers and medical professionals. While the United Nations’ watchdog, IAEA, has praised Japan’s efforts to date, these critics say the IAEA can’t have the last word on nuclear safety because its mandate is fundamentally contradictory. On the one hand, it monitors worldwide nuclear safety, but conversely is said to support nuclear power. With the IAEA in control, many antinuclear activists, regardless of their expertise, have no input. The critics say antinuclear voices have as much right to be involved in Fukushima recovery as the IAEA and too little is being done because of the UN watchdog’s conflicting vestiture of interest. “There are some bilateral cooperation activities that are heavily biased by the specific interests of the assisting states. But nothing, absolutely nothing, is visible that would resemble a concerted international effort to solve the unprecedented problems at the Fukushima site,” said Mycle Schneider, a Paris-based consultant. He also says information is being presented that might not be true, “The most immediate and largest threats are probably still stemming from the spent-fuel pools of the four crippled reactors at Fukushima No. 1. Tepco’s affirmation that there is no damage to the fuel assemblies seems to be more of an optimistic guess, rather than a certainty.” Schneider also questions the integrity of the F. Daiichi basements which hold thousands of tons of radioactive water, “These basements were never constructed to hold radioactive water. And corrosion of the steel reinforcement in concrete walls, especially of the spent-fuel pools, remains another area of concern. Cracks in the concrete could lead to steel corrosion, to significant breaks of the walls and to ever-increasing levels of water leakage.” Schneider also believes that Japan’s too-low radiation health standards are not absolutely safe. He argues that even the tiniest level can cause health problems. Anand Grover, special “rapporteur” to the UN, questions the health surveys being performed, “(Japan) has undertaken a health management survey. However, it’s limited to the residents of, and visitors to, Fukushima Prefecture at the time of the disaster. They are also limited to thyroid examinations for children, comprehensive health checks, a mental and lifestyle survey, and to a pregnancy survey. The scope of the surveys is unfortunately narrow, as they draw on the limited lessons from the Chernobyl accident and ignore epidemiological studies that point to cancer as well as other diseases in low-dosage radiation, even in areas of exposure below 100 millisieverts per year. I would urge the government to expand the health survey to all radiation-affected zones.” (Japan Times)
- Blogging colleague Rod Adams has posted a summary of a British study on uranium mining worker health. His blog title is “Study of Port Hope radium and uranium processing workers shows longer lives“. It includes the following excerpt, “In one of the largest cohort studies of workers exposed to radium, uranium and γ-ray doses, no significant radiation-associated risks were observed for any cancer site or cause of death. Continued follow-up and pooling with other cohorts of workers exposed to by-products of radium and uranium processing could provide valuable insight into occupational risks and suspected differences in risk with uranium miners.” The study itself, “Mortality and cancer incidence of workers in the Port Hope cohort study exposed to a unique combination of radium, uranium and gamma-ray doses”, is linked in Rod’s blog. http://atomicinsights.com/2013/03/study-of-port-hope-radium-and-uranium-processing-workers-shows-longer-lives.html
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