January 9, 2013

Jan 9, 2013 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • Due to local complaints of illegal decontaminated waste disposal, the Ministry of the Environment is beefing up its examinations of the work in Fukushima communities. The Ministry found that two contractors working in Nahara and Iitate have improperly discarded leaves, tree limbs, and water used to wash down contaminated surfaces. Both contractors have admitted that supervisors in the field had condoned these practices. The ministry investigation is on-going. On Monday, the ministry set up a headquarters for promoting appropriate decontamination practices. Previously, only 10 zones were being watched at any given time, with the areas monitored being rotated. Now, all zones will be inspected on a regular basis. The Ministry will also review its complaint processing system because numerous grievances in the past went unaddressed. Senior Environment Vice Minister Shinji Inoue inspected the Tamura City and Nahara Town decontamination projects this morning. In Tamura, Inoue looked at the sites where leaves and soil are believed to have been illegally dumped. In Nahara, he was approached by local residents who asked him to make sure the rules are followed. Inoue will issue a report on the results of his inspections at some future date. (Mainichi Shimbun; Japan Today; NHK World)
  • Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced a $136 billion budget expansion designed to both stimulate Japan’s shaky economy and speed up 3/11/11 tsunami and earthquake reconstruction. Abe said that his regime need not follow the $500 billion cap on new debt invoked by the previous government under the Democratic Party of Japan. More than a third of the new spending will be on public works; programs to increase investment struggling from dwindling exports, improve energy efficiency, offset power shortages caused by the nuclear moratorium, make roads more quake-resistant, and accelerate tsunami recovery and reconstruction projects. Nearly $23 billion is ear-marked for grants to local governments of communities devastated by the quake and tsunami. The rest will be used to boost Japan’s slumping national pension program, support small businesses, encourage bigger companies to employ more people, and expand the country’s electric automobile recharging infrastructure. The government intends to borrow from the European Stability Mechanism created three months ago to support debt-burdened countries. Other Euro-based bonds are also being considered. Masamichi Adachi, senior economist at JPMorgan Securities in Tokyo, said, “The scale of this budget suggests that Abe’s new administration is serious about stimulating the economy. It’ll be very helpful in the near-time.” He cautions, however, that in the long term the debt will have to be paid back. (Japan Times; NHK World; Yomiuri Shimbun)
  • The Environment Ministry wants $125 million of the budget expansion to create research centers for Fukushima decontamination. This would be in addition to the $100 million already allocated to Fukushima Prefecture for decontamination costs. The new centers will be a cooperative effort with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Japanese colleges and various research organizations. The centers will include radiation monitoring equipment for local surveying. The ministry wants two locations: one in Minamisoma and the other in Miharu Town. (Kyodo News)
  • Work on building the new enclosure around Fukushima Daiichi unit #4 reactor building has begun. The enclosure is needed because the roof and walls of the upper floor were blown away by the hydrogen explosion of March 15, 2011. The enclosure will be more than 160 feet high and supported by 87 large steel columns. Under the new roof, a ceiling crane and other fuel-handling equipment will be installed. Tepco says they plan on completing the structure in October so they can begin removing fuel bundles from the spent fuel pool in November. (Mainichi Shimbun) Pictures of the emplacement of the first two steel column bases can be viewed here… http://photo.tepco.co.jp/en/date/2013/201301-e/130108-01e.html
  • What is the best, most scientifically-supported model that should be utilized to set radiation exposure standards? How does the current model used by standard-setting organizations tend to deceive the public? Environmental Health professor Dr. E. J. Calabrese of Massachusetts University addresses both of these questions in a provocative paper entitled US Risk Assessment Policy: A History of Deception. Dr. Calabrese’s conclusions are quite startling. Written for the University of Chicago Law Review, the paper can be accessed by clicking this link… US Risk Assessment Policy: A History of Deception (Thanks to Rod Adams of Atomic Insights)