October 8, 2015

Oct 8, 2015 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • Tepco has safely released more than 4,000 tons of purified groundwater to the sea. The discharge was on October 1st. The discharge included some water pumped out of the ground after September 3rd. All of the waters were tested by Tepco and an independent third party to insure the radioactive isotopic concentrations were below Tepco’s self-imposed, ridiculously low limits (10-60 times less than drinking water standards). (Comment – There has been nothing in Japan’s news media or the international Press about this.) http://www.jaif.or.jp/en/tepco-releases-decontaminated-groundwater-five-times-into-the-sea-from-fukushima-daiichi/
  • Evacuees making short-term stays at home show no adverse health effects. A team from Soma Central Hospital, headed by Dr. Takeaki Ishii, studied the health records of 500 Soma City evacuees. The study was done due to concerns about negative health effects resulting from reduced outdoor activities caused by fear of radiation. The investigation shows combined internal and external exposures have not caused a “worsening of lifestyle-related diseases”. In addition, the study found no internal exposure to infants and the exposure to the 27% of adults had detectible internal radioactive depositions and all had less than one millisievert per year exposure. http://www.fukushimaminponews.com/news.html?id=573
  • Evacuating out of Fukushima Prefecture minimally lowered internal exposures. Masaharu Tsubokura and a team of researchers at the Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital discovered that the relative risk factor between those who fled the prefecture and those who stayed was 0.88 and 0.86, respectively. The researchers say this is not medically significant. Further, they found that internal exposure resulting from contaminated air inhaled during the initial stage of the crisis was minimal, at most. http://www.fukushimaminponews.com/news.html?id=574
  • Parental radiation exposure has not increased cancer in children of the Hibakusha (A-bomb survivors). The joint Japanese-American Radiation Research Effects Foundation says it found “no indications of deleterious health effects” among second generation Hibakusha after 62 years of research; the third consecutive 10-year study by RERF showing no health impacts. The latest survey compared the health records of more than 75,000 second-generation Hibakusha to those of the second generation born of unexposed WWII-period parents. RERF said that despite the four straight studies finding nothing, they will do it again in ten years because of the continuing anxieties expressed by about half of the 90,000 A-bomb survivor parents still alive. One Hiroshima University professor said it is still too early to close the book on possible negative health effects with Hibakusha off-spring because cancer tends to be elevated in older people. (Aside –Nearly 25% of the second-generation Hibakusha are over 60 years old, and the average age of the entire cohort is 53. Since when are they not an elderly group? When will long enough be long enough? Forty years ago, it was believed that the maximum latency period for radiation-induced cancers was 20 years. Ever since, the speculated latency period has grown by ten years for every decade that has passed. When will this fear-prolonging progression stop? – end aside) The RERF report was published in the British medical journal Lancet Oncology on Sept. 14. http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201510060027 — http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(15)00209-0/fulltext?rss=yes
  • Tomioka Town prepares for partial re-population. The municipal government resumed on-site duties on October 1st because round-the-clock habitation for the 1,500 residents of the southern third of the town and daytime visitation for 10,000 people with homes in the middle third of the community are now both allowed. In addition, the Town government anticipates Tokyo lifting restrictions on the lower third of Tomioka in a few months. 20 officials of the reconstruction promotion and restoration divisions are now working out of the health center next to the town office. Previously, they were operating in the neighboring town of Naraha, which had all living restrictions lifted last month. Tomioka Mayor Koichi Miyamoto said, “In aiming for the town’s revival, we have moved (two) important divisions back to town and I hope this will help accelerate recovery and reconstruction.” http://www.fukushimaminponews.com/news.html?id=572
  • A maverick Japanese professor contradicts the consensus on Fukushima child thyroid anomalies. Toshihide Tsuda, professor of Epidemiology, and three colleagues have published a report contradicting the Fukushima University Medical School, the Japanese Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, and the National Cancer Center, that all say the detected child thyroid pre-cancerous anomalies in Fukushima Prefecture cannot be linked to the accident. Tsuda maintains that the rate of anomalies is 20-50 times the national average, and “is unlikely to be explained by a screening surge.” He’s been alleging that the nuke accident is causing a thyroid cancer epidemic for three years. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/10/07/national/science-health/new-report-links-thyroid-cancer-rise-fukushima-nuclear-crisis/#.VhakAZDosdW — http://journals.lww.com/epidem/Abstract/publishahead/Thyroid_Cancer_Detection_by_Ultrasound_Among.99115.aspx#  (Comment – The published paper linked above may be freely downloaded by clicking  the “Article as PDF” button on the page. One striking point that seems intentionally overlooked by the authors is that many of the areas with the low exposures have a high incidence of pre-cancerous child thyroid anomalies, and the lowest incidence seems to be in some of the higher exposure areas. One of my esteemed colleagues in Scientists for Accurate Radiation Information finds this inexcusable, thus the report “likely belongs in the trash heap”.)
  • PM Shinzo Abe says the Tokyo has responsibility for safety of the public in nuke accidents. At a meeting called by Ehime Prefecture’s Governor Tokihiro Nakamura, Abe said that if a nuclear accident were to occur, it is the government’s duty to protect peoples’ lives and assets, and deal with the situation responsibly. The meeting was requested by Nakamura as a condition for the restart of a nuke unit at Ikata station in Ehime. Ikata Town unanimously approved the restart Monday, but the Mayor and Nakamura balked at extending their permissions because several conditions still had to be met. Nakamura says another condition is to meet with the Industry Minister, which has yet to be scheduled. Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Tokyo’s nuclear disaster prevention council approved the Ehime Prefecture evacuation plans. Ikata mayor Kazuhiko Yamashita said, “Now we have all the criteria (to decide).” However, he stopped short of extending approval saying he also wants to meet with the Industry Minister. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20151006_19.html — http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20151006p2g00m0dm059000c.html
  • Japan’s antinukes fear one of PM Abe’s new Cabinet appointees has sold out. Lawyer Taro Kono has accepted appointment as chairman of the National Public Safety Commission and minister in charge of administrative reform and disaster management. For two years, Kono has been a vocal critic of Abe’s national energy policy which points to 20% of Japan’s electricity eventually coming from nukes. He has said that nukes should not be restarted until the nuclear waste disposal issue is resolved. This has made him popular among Japan’s antinuclear demographic, however acceptance of his new position makes them wonder if he has not discarded his beliefs in exchange for political glory. Kono responded to Press inquiries, saying, “During the race for the 2012 LDP presidential election, Abe clearly pledged that he will work to reduce the country’s reliance on nuclear power in the long term. We are heading in the same direction on this issue.” http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201510080034