May 21, 2015

May 21, 2015 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • A Fukushima medical professional says four years of public radiation education show little progress. Sae Ochi (MD, MPH, PhD), Director of Internal Medicine at Soma Central Hospital, says that clear and understandable radiation information has been shared with the public, but there is a general inability to believe it will make them healthy or happy. Often, the reports on Fukushima accident have the statement “no one has died because of radiation”, and no more is said. She explains, “The health problems in Fukushima now are mostly unrelated to radiation. More important as factors influencing health include living as evacuees, job loss, changed lifestyles, mental stress, and working environments. To help people in Fukushima recover their health, we have to discuss their health in a wider context. The reality is that the real health-related impacts of the accident have been overlooked by focusing so much on radiation.” She argues that when radiation risks are reported, they ought to be placed in context with the other risks, but this is not the case in Japan. Dr. Ochi makes other important points, so I would strongly suggest clicking the below link and reading everything she says. http://www.jaif.or.jp/en/gridlock-in-education-on-radiation-in-fukushima/
  • Fukushima’s governor says radiation rumors hurt the entire nation of Japan. Governor Masao Uchibori says the problem “is deeply rooted and difficult in that there is no magic cure. We will continue disseminating (information) accurately and honestly.” He stressed that “Some people still shy away as soon as they see Fukushima produce.” Uchibori then compared it to Taiwan’s recent unfounded restrictions on Japanese food. http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2015052100717
  • Japan places a trade complaint against South Korea with the World Trade Organization. Japan’s filing in Geneva says Seoul has failed to justify their trade restrictions in accord with WTO guidelines.  Korea has 60 days to try and appease Japan in bilateral talks. If still dissatisfied, Japan could file for WTO to take legal action against Korea. Korea says they regret Japan’s move and stated the ban on Japanese seafood is necessary. Their formal statement says, “In upcoming talks with Japan, we plan to explain fully that the import ban is necessary for people’s safety, and actively deal with Japan over the issue they raised based upon WTO’s dispute settlement procedures.” Korea feels that Japan’s complaint is not science-based. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/21/business/japan-takes-south-korea-to-wto-over-fukushima-related-food-import-restrictions/#.VV4FwKMw8dU
  • Radiophobia continues in the Fukushima marketplace. A Fukushima Consumers Group poll shows that 18% of consumers find Fukushima-produced foods unacceptable, even if no contamination is detectible. 9.2% say they cannot decide because of a lack of information, 42.4% find Fukushima foods “tolerable”, and 26.1% don’t care. The “unacceptable” percentage dropped nearly 13 points from the previous year, which is significant. The biggest upswing was in the “don’t care” demographic, which increased by 10 points. The Consumer Affairs Agency poll, however, shows little difference over the past two years, with a 3% increase in the “unacceptable” group. http://www.fukushimaminponews.com/news.html?id=507
  • Futaba’s ex-mayor continues his antinuclear crusade with a lawsuit. Katsutaka Idogawa was in office at the time of the nuke accident. He has filed for $1.2 million in damages from Tepco and Tokyo because he was exposed to radiation and has suffered health concerns for four years. During a news conference in Tokyo, Idogawa said: “We could not protect the town residents because we believed in the words the government and TEPCO said that the nuclear accident would never happen. I hope I can guide those suffering from concerns over radiation exposure.” He later added, “Even after the accident, I was forced to stay in the town as mayor and thus exposed to a high dose of radiation from the plant. The central government delayed giving evacuation orders and even when they were issued, the areas under evacuation orders were inappropriate.”  http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201505210042
  • Four new cases of child thyroid cancer were found in Fukushima. The second round of screenings by Fukushima’s prefectural government has discovered that four who did not test positive on the first round, have done so this time. This brings the number of new cases for 2015 to five, with one diagnosed in February. In addition, twelve of those “suspected” of possibly having the cancer in the first round, were confirmed in the second screening. The total of those either having the cancer or “suspected” in both screenings, is now 127. Also, none of the children who were less than five years old in 2011 or babies born after the accident have tested positive. The Asahi Shimbun reports that the ratio of positive tests is no different than that of the same age group from other prefectures. A Fukushima official said, “At this stage, there’s no need to revise the evaluation that any effect of radiation is unlikely.” http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150519p2a00m0na002000c.html — http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201505190041
  • A Tepco report makes new speculations about the Fukushima accident. The curious radiation exposure increase of March 20, 2011, is explained thusly, “The site dose increase measured around March 20 was most likely due to a change in wind direction that blew the constantly escaping radioactive substances the opposite way [inland].” Another issue has to do with why the top of the unit #1 containment was inordinately hot during the first days of the accident. Tepco now says that it was likely due to a steam leak from the reactor pressure vessel near its top. The third speculation is the one gaining considerable Press traction in Japan. During the accident, there were problems with depressurizing unit #2. The “rupture disc” in the exhaust line was supposed to open when there was sufficient over-pressurization inside the Primary Containment. Tepco says it is possible that it failed to operate properly, but the “results remain inconclusive. Engineers are examining various portions of the venting and pressure management system to determine, largely from circumstantial evidence, how pressure built and was relieved in various parts of the Unit.” The Japanese Press has focused on this speculation because it would be a technological failure, which makes scarier headlines. The other two Tepco speculations are not to be found in the Japanese Press. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2015/1250926_6844.html — http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150520p2a00m0na011000c.html
  • The Fukui Court rejects the appeal on the Takahama plant injunction of April. The Fukui District Court, which rendered the restart ban order, heard the appeal and said Kansai Electric Company failed to provide explanations sufficient to nullify the injunction. At least, that is what the lawyer for the plaintiffs said. The court itself declined to comment. Actually, the appeal’s dismissal was rendered on Monday, but the Court made no announcement to the Press, at the time. Kansai Electric has filed a formal complaint with the court, which was supposed to be heard on Wednesday. http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2015051900875 — http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/19/national/crime-legal/fukui-court-rejects-kansai-electric-appeal-of-reactor-ruling/#.VVtq0KMw8dU
  • Fukushima business compensation might be extended for an additional year. The current compensation period is supposed to end in February of 2016, but local firms have pressured the government into extending the pay-outs until February of 2017. A formal decision is forthcoming by the end of June. As of the end of March, business compensation has totaled roughly $4.5 billion (USD). http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/19/national/tepco-may-have-to-pay-nuclear-compensation-to-businesses-longer/#.VVtrPqMw8dU
  • The Asahi Shimbun reports that 70% of evacuees have family health issues. The data released by Fukushima Prefecture shows a slight, 1.2% drop in frequency from last year. 73% of the respondents were from those mandated to flee by Tokyo, and 27% were voluntary. Nearly 60% reported at least one family member with sleeping issues and nearly 50% said they tire easily. On related issues, 56% say they want to remain in temporary (government funded) housing until evacuation orders are lifted, 40% said they cannot afford to leave temporary housing, and 42% say they are unable to rebuild their homes. Of the Tokyo-ordered evacuees, 37.3% hope to eventually go home, 16.5% want to stay where they now live, and 12% are undecided about their future. Among the voluntary demographic, 24% do not want to return home, 20% want to go back, and nearly 32% are undecided. http://fukushimaupdate.com/majority-of-fukushima-evacuees-have-family-members-with-health-problems/ (Comment – once again, there is no attempt to segregate those whose homes were swept away or destroyed by the 2011 tsunami. I suspect that a major portion of those who say they are unable to rebuild are tsunami victims whose plight would be no different if the nuke accident had never happened.)
  • The NRA approves the initial safety screening for Ikata unit #3. On Wednesday, the Nuclear Regulation Authority said the safety upgrades on the Ehime Prefecture unit meets all new requirements. Restart is not expected before this coming winter because a 30 day public comment period, subsequent NRA inspections, and gaining local community consent, still lie ahead. Ikata Mayor Kazuhiko Yamashita says he will approve restart if the municipal assembly agrees to it. Ehime Gov. Tokihiro Nakamura said, “I understand that the safety evaluation is entering its final stage. After the final decision is reached, we as the prefectural government would like to receive an explanation from the national government that includes the grounds for passing the plant, and then check the safety of the plant ourselves.” As should be expected, local residents’ concerns are reported by the Press, and a small protest happened in Tokyo. The Mainichi Shimbun found several people living with 30 kilometers of Ikata station who are worried about a restart. One man said, “If a disaster occurs, we will be able to do nothing but wait for death.” Meanwhile, NHK World reports taht 20 people staged a protest in front of NRA headquarters in Tokyo. They argued that Japan has survived without nukes since 2013, so the idled plants need not be restarted. http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002164079 — http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150520p2a00m0na015000c.html — http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150520_27.html