June 15, 2015

Jun 15, 2015 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • A new study shows no need to worry about Minamisoma children’s radiation exposure. The city stretches between 10 and 40 kilometers north of F. Daiichi. 881 students between the ages of six and fifteen had an average exposure on 0.7 millisieverts over the second year after the Fukushima accident. The highest single exposure during the period was 3.49 mSv. 80% if the students received doses less that the goal on 1 mSv/yr sought by Tokyo. Team representative Masaharu Tsubokura of Tokyo University’s Institute of Medical Science said, “The radiation exposure of elementary and junior high students has been kept low, and there’s no need to worry about the effects on their health.” The study included internal exposure monitoring, and 99.7% showed nothing detectible. The researchers say this is the first post-Fukushima screening of individual internal and external exposure levels within 2 years of the accidental releases. Minamisoma residents have been given free personal monitoring and screenings since the fall of 2011. http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150615p2a00m0na001000c.html
  • The revised Fukushima decommissioning plan focuses on reducing worker risk. A new roadmap was developed in meetings between government ministries, the Nuclear Regulation Authority, and Tepco. While the new roadmap delays used fuel removal by as much as three years from the previous plan, the 30-40 year time-frame for completing full decommissioning has not changed. The key change in the plan is a shift from “focusing on speed” to “safety and risk reduction”. The prime example is the longer time allowed for removal of used fuel bundles from the storage pools of units #1, #2 & #3. The lengthier schedule is intended to allow radiation levels to decay in the work areas and reduce stress on the staff. Keizai University professor emeritus Hiroaki Yoshii said, “It’s important to classify the risks since decommissioning work involves a range of procedures.” Tepco President Naomi Hirose said, “The revisions made to the mid-and-long-term roadmap are based on our experience over the past four years, and we will continue moving forward, adhering to the plan. Safety will always be top priority in the decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi.” Unfortunately, the full document released by the government is in Japanese-only. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2015/1252381_6844.html — http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002218963 It should be noted that most Japanese Press outlets focus almost entirely on the estimated delays in used fuel removal, while making little or no mention of the main safety focus of the new roadmap. (two examples are linked, below) http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html — http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150612p2g00m0dm033000c.html
  • It’s official. Living restrictions for nearly 55,000 evacuees will be lifted by March, 2017. This will affect nearly 75% of those currently subject to the Tokyo mandate. PM Shinzo Abe commented, “The government will accelerate its efforts to lift evacuation orders early while presenting a vision of the future for local communities promptly.” The new guidelines focus on supporting local businesses to effect return of the population before the plan’s end date. The locations affected will have exposure rates less than 50 millisieverts per year. (Aside – radiation exposure measurements in these areas over the past year have shown that most people would actually receive doses much less than 20 mSv/yr. – end aside) The plan also calls for continuing the ~$1,000 per month (per person) mental anguish stipend until March 2017, regardless of whether or not restrictions are lifted before that date. http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002216756 — http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2015061200449 (Comment – The above links seem the least tainted by the Japanese news media’s penchant for nuclear negativity. The following links are examples of the majority, which all taint the Tokyo announcement with a “despite strong public concerns over radiation contamination” statement in the lead paragraph. This is a subtle, but significant rhetorical ploy to make it seem that Tokyo doesn’t care about the Fukushima evacuees.  http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2015/06/357980.html — http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/06/12/national/cabinet-oks-plan-lift-fukushima-evacuation-orders-end-fiscal-2016/#.VXrh46Mw8dW )
  • The Environment Ministry has posted the latest data on groundwater by-pass activity. This is water pumped out of the ground west of the four damaged units at F. Daiichi. Groundwater flows west to east, so this water has not yet come in contact with the contaminated basements. The June 11th data shows no detectible Cesium-134, beta emitters, or alpha emitter activity. Cs-137 and Strontium-90 are barely detectible, and Tritium activity is merely 100 Becquerels per liter. http://www.meti.go.jp/english/earthquake/nuclear/decommissioning/pdf/20150603_01a.pdf
  • More than 7,000 Tochigi Prefecture residents to sue Tepco for fears caused by the Fukushima accident. The total damages sought by the plaintiffs will be over $15 million through an out-of-court settlement. The residents live in three Tochigi communities that are roughly 100km southwest of F. Daiichi. The plaintiffs also want a formal apology from Tepco for scaring them, and a fund to pay for any decontamination work and health checkups they want. The residents argue that people in Fukushima Prefecture who voluntarily evacuated from outside the Tokyo-mandated exclusion zone were compensated to the tune of more than $7,500 each. The plaintiffs say their exposures from the accident were similar to those experienced in southern Fukushima Prefecture, so they deserve to get the same money as those who voluntarily fled. The age-breakdown of the plaintiffs indicates that most are actual or prospective parents fearing negative health effects for their children. Lawyers for the group say the filing shows how many people are afraid of radiation. http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2015/06/358307.html — http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150615p2a00m0na009000c.html