- Japanese officials say that the radiation from Fukushima’s current airborne emissions is less than gamma emanations from the plant’s rubble. In a report to the IAEA, officials say airborne Cesium emissions are at about 0.01 Becquerels per hour…barely detectable. Shinichi Kuroki, who presented the report, says the current challenge is to reduce the relatively high gamma radiation from the plant’s debris. The gamma “shine” should produce negligible exposure off-site. Reducing the gamma fields will lower the exposures to the people working at F. Daiichi. (Japan Today)
- The Japanese government says the presence of actual seismic faults beneath or near nuclear stations will not necessarily keep them from operating. The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) is planning new safety regulations for operations including plants where faults are beneath them. The faults will only stop operations if they are found to potentially exceed ground movements the plants have been built to safely survive. The agency will draft new criteria for evaluation of faults based on expert opinions and hand them over to its successor regulatory agency, which will be launched next month. (Kyodo News)
- Two Japanese electric companies say they each have one nuke station that meet the current earthquake standards for nearby faults. Shikoku Electric’s Ikata station and Hokuriku Electric’s Shika power complex are said to be able to withstand even the rare-but-not-impossible quake postulated for the region. The two power companies told a NISA expert panel that the reactors and other key systems at the two nukes would have no safety problems even with the worst-possible quake. Chugoku Electric Co. and Hokkaido Electric Co. also reported that the Shimane Nuclear Power Plant was safe if subjected to the same conditions. NISA says they will look at the submitted reports to establish whether or not they are credible. (Mainichi Shimbun)
- Shipments of Codfish caught off-shore of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, have been stopped due to Japan’s overly-restrictive national standards. Hachinohe is about 350 kilometers from F. Daiichi. Some of the Cod taken from these Pacific waters have been tested to contain more than 100 Becquerels per kilogram, which is Japan’s legal limit. Back in June, one Cod was found with 116 Bq/kg, so a temporary restriction was imposed allowing only those Cod tested to be below the limit to be shipped. On August 9th, a few more Cod were tested to be above the limit, with the highest at 133 Bq/kg. Japan’s law states that if above-limit levels are detected multiple times, the food source is to be barred from shipment. It should be noted that Japan’s 100 Bq/kg limit is ten times lower than the international standard of 1,000 Bq/kg set by the United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). It is also 12 times lower than the American standard of 1,200 Bq/kg. The higher international limits are based on the assumption that the food of concern is consumed every day, which could result in an annual exposure of 5 millisieverts per year (avg. natural background level in America’s Rocky Mountains). In order to remove the ban, no Cod can be found to be above the limit for one month. (Mainichi Shimbun)
- Peaches from Fukushima orchards are being shipped and sold all over Japan. This was not the case last summer when fears of the peaches being possibly radioactive nearly ruined the substantial Fukushima peach trade. This year’s crop is being sold at about 80% of the price before the Fukushima nuclear crisis. The return of sales is attributed to a commercial on TV featuring the pop group Tokio showing the peaches to be big, beautiful and delicious. In addition, Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato and other officials have traveled around the nation to promote produce grown in the prefecture. They believe stringent checks on radiation levels in peaches have helped peach sales. Currently, 30,000 cases of the delightful produce are being shipped to Tokyo and the Kansai region every day. It is planned to start shipping Fukushima grapes, pears and apples, all of which must pass the overly-conservative national standards for radiation. (Yomiuri Shimbun)
- Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu says he will support the public’s call for a nuclear energy referendum. Recently, a local petition signed by more than 160,000 people was submitted to the prefectural government calling for the abolition of future operations at the Hamaoka power station. “Signatures of 160,000 people mean a lot. I will strive to implement the referendum,” said Kawakatsu. Because similar petitions did not result in referendums in two other prefectures, the governor’s statement caught the local antinuclear group that circulated the petition by surprise. “I was really surprised that the governor has upheld the ordinance as I had thought that he was against a referendum,” said Nozomu Suzuki, representative of the citizens group, “I want the prefectural assembly to take the governor’s decision seriously and pass the ordinance bill.” The Hamaoka station is the closest nuke to Tokyo and was ordered shuttered by former PM Naoto Kan out of fears that an earthquake would force him to evacuate the world’s largest metropolitan population. (Mainichi Shimbun)
- Tokyo says about 61% of those who voluntarily replied to a government poll want nuclear energy abolished as soon as possible. Another 20% want an end to nuclear power when it becomes practical. A panel of experts analyzed more than 89,000 public comments taken in July. The most-often-mentioned reasons are fear of another nuclear accident and the perception of uncertainty with respect to low radiation exposures. Some interesting related findings were uncovered. 44% said nukes should be replaced by renewable sources and 43% called nuclear energy unethical. Of those not wanting immediate nuclear abolition, 42% said complete nuclear eradication will cost Japan jobs and 41% said nuclear is currently necessary to maintain needed electricity supplies. At July’s public hearings, 33% said they want nuclear energy in Japan to end by 2030. In a phone survey taken during the hearings, 47% wanted nuclear abolition by 2030. (Yomiuri Shimbun) comment – could the voluntary survey have been “stuffed” by a deluge of fanatic antinuclear sympathizers?
- An International antinuclear physician’s group urges Japan to further cut their radiation exposure limits. The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War say Tokyo should keep all public radiation exposure below 1 millisievert per year in the wake of the Fukushima accident. The group adds that people living in Fukushima-contaminated areas should have access to all information concerning radiation’s health effects and should receive full government support to avoid all radiation exposures in excess of 1 mSv/yr. Japan’s nation average background level is 1.5 mSv/year, which makes the group’s suggestion seem questionable. (Kyodo News).
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