- There is no Fukushima contamination polluting the Pacific Ocean. This has been reported by Japan’s Prime Minister and the Tokyo Electric Company. PM Shinzo Abe’s statement about Japan’s recent selection as the host country for the 2020 Olympics included a statement relative to the F. Daiichi contamination issue. He said, “The situation is under control.” Abe added the contaminated water outflow from the nuke station has been “completely blocked” and worst-case radiation levels stand at less than one percent of the international standards. Further, the safety limits have kept Japan’s food completely safe, “I can assure you that there have never been, and will never be health problems.” http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130908p2g00m0dm019000c.html Tepco has finally stated that no radioactive water has reached the Pacific Ocean. Company President Naomi Hirose said, “Judging from the results of our monitoring 3 kilometers offshore, there has been no impact on the waters or the wider ocean. We believe that the impact on the surrounding waters is limited to the area within the port of the power plant.” [aside – as I have been reporting for more than a month.] http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2013/09/244878.html Critics have objected to the statements of both PM Abe and Tepco. One anonymous observer in Buenos Aires said, “His [Abe’s] remarks don’t convey the facts accurately.” One Industry Ministry official said, “It is hard to tell what can be called as being ‘under control,’ but it is certain that you can’t say the contaminated water has ‘been completely blocked’ in a technical sense.” http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130910p2a00m0na035000c.html
- Tepco’s most recent testing at F. Daiichi continues to show no contamination has entered the Pacific. The outlet of the suspect drainage ditch around the suspected leaky tank group continues to show no contamination in the seawater. It is interesting that a testing location upstream from the wastewater tank complex show detectible Cesium-137 and an “all Beta” reading of 110 Becquerels per liter. This location is in the direction of the mountains that rise just west of the station’s property. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/f1/smp/2013/images/south_discharge_130909-1-e.pdf In addition, the water from the observation well on the sea-side of units #1 & #2 that started the groundwater issue last month no longer shows any Cesium or “all Beta” (including Strontium) isotopic activity. However, it does continue to have relatively high Tritium, the radioactive isotope of Hydrogen, at 80,000 Bq/liter. Once again we find that Cesium and Strontium are not being carried by the groundwater, but Tritium is. Tritium is the least-risky isotope produced by nuclear plants and is a naturally-occurring material present in all of the world’s water. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/f1/smp/2013/images/around_rb_13090902-e.pdf
- Tokyo has extended the deadline for decontamination of towns near F. Daiichi. Seven of the eleven municipalities inside the mandated evacuation zone will not meet national standards by March of 2014, including parts of Minamisoma City, the towns of Kawamata, Namie, Tomioka and Futaba, and the villages of Iitate and Katsurao. The Environment Ministry says the work will continue through April of 2014, at least. The ministry says the reasons for the extended timetable are two-fold. First, there have been political delays if securing locations for the storage of contaminated soils and other debris. Second, getting approval to start decontamination from some of the local residents has been difficult. Junko Nakanishi of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology has called the plan overly optimistic and calls for increased measures to support evacuees while decontamination takes place. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130910_32.html
- South Korea has banned all fish imports from 8 Japanese prefectures. The affected prefectures are Fukushima, Aomori, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Iwate, Tochigi and Chiba- with Chiba the furthest from Fukushima Daiichi at 250 kilometers. South Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries says, “The measure comes as our people’s concerns are growing over the fact that hundreds of tons of radiation contaminated water are leaked daily from the site of Japan’s nuclear accident in Fukushima.” Korea added that additional radiation tests must be supplied by Japan, and the ban will continueif “even a minuscule dose of radioactive material, such as cesium or iodine, is detected in any products from any other region of Japan…as the government concluded that it is unclear how the incident in Japan will progress in the future and that the information the Japanese government has provided so far is not enough to predict future developments.” http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/09/06/national/south-korea-bans-fishery-imports-from-eight-prefectures-on-radiation-fears/#.UinZsOvD8dU Japan’s response has been one of surprise and exasperation. Chief cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Japanese limits on contamination of food are the strictest in the world and shipments are always banned when tests show the limits are exceeded. He also ruled out any effects on the Pacific Ocean due to water contamination from F. Daiichi because the leaks are small and contained in the nukes station’s port area. He added, “We hope that South Korea will act on scientific evidence.” Each of the prefectures expressed surprise and concern when told of Korea’s action. Chiba officials are bewildered as to why their fish exports have been included in the ban since Korea has not previously done anything like this to them. Two of the Prefectures banned by Korea are completely land-locked – Gunma and Tochigi. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130906_28.html The Japanese fisheries submitted a petition calling for Tokyo to stop all radioactive water leaks from F. Daiichi immediately. National fisheries head Hiroshi Kishi gave the petition to Industry Minister Motegi on Friday. Kishi cited the Korean ban on fish from eight Prefectures and urged the government to insure information is spread properly. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130906_32.html A Nuclear Regulatory Authority official says the reporting provided by the NRA thus far has been unsatisfactory. NRA Secretary Morimoto said providing accurate information on how F. Daiichi is affecting the sea is crucial. The NRA says there are no detectible radioactive substances have been found outside the F. Daiichi port. NRA Chair Shunichi Tanaka stated, “From what we can see from existing data… so far there is no meaningful effect” on the Pacific.http://radioactivity.nsr.go.jp/en/contents/8000/7274/24/278_k_0906.pdf (NRA seawater test results now available in English)
- Is the current situation at F. Daiichi a disaster or a PR failure? Journalist Rowan Hooper says neither Tepco nor the Japanese government have succeeded in making sure information is communicated to the public clearly and openly. Hooper’s interview with Dr. Gerry Thomas, who runs the Chernobyl Tissue Bank in England, is the focus of his piece. Thomas is totally dismissive of the health risks postulated by many voices in the Press. She said, “They’ve got a huge problem out there — largely a PR problem; it’s not a health problem because none of this is going to do anything health-wise.” For the full article, see… http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/09/07/national/fukushima-health-disaster-or-pr-fail/#.Uix7cevD8dU
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