- 67% of Japan’s adults say they would use nuclear powered electricity. 32% say they would not. Mizuho Information & Research Institute of Japan polled more than 3,500 Japanese in February, in anticipation of the deregulation of electricity. When the respondents were asked if they would use nuclear-based electricity if the rates were the same or lower than now, 67% said “yes” On the other hand, 32% said they would not use nuke-based power, no matter what the cost. When asked if they would exclusively use electricity produced by renewables, only 5% said yes. The most important factors on the issue (each respondent could choose more than one), 80% said stability of power supply, 70% said cost, and 60% said environmental friendliness. http://www.jaif.or.jp/en/only-one-in-twenty-japanese-would-choose-renewable-energy-exclusively/ (Comment – So, why do all Japanese Press outlets continually say that a significant majority of the public doesn’t want nukes restarted? This seems to further verify that the Japanese Press has a decided antinuclear agenda.)
- North American radiation monitoring was not stopped after the Fukushima accident. Dr. Jay Cullen of Canada’s Fukushima InFORM project shared this fact during an 8-stop tour of coastal British Columbia. Beginning in September, 2011, many Press and internet sources continually reported that the Canadian and American governments turned off monitoring stations, implying (often openly expounding) a coordinated effort to conceal the truth. Dr. Cullen reported that this is extreme misinformation, hopefully based on misunderstanding. Actually, Canada’s Radiation Protection Bureau increased the frequency of measurements and reported a greater body of data than ever before, immediately following the accident. However, the amount of data reported to the Press was cut back due to lack of anything health-threatening being detected by September of 2011. Dr. Cullen writes, “They [Canada’s scientists] did not turn off monitors at any point but their return to normal monitoring and posting frequency, after dramatically increasing the reporting of data early in the disaster timeline, has been erroneously reported as cessation of monitoring or turning off the network.” Similarly, the American RadNet system upgraded their operations in March, 2011, but returned to their routine frequency in May, 2011, after no levels of radiation were found that might be a public health concern. Cullen writes, “Similar to the Health Canada network, this [American] network was not turned off in the aftermath of the Fukushima meltdowns.” It should be noted that the last time any detectible airborne activity was detected by RadNet was July 28, 2011, in Hawaii. http://fukushimainform.ca/2015/06/09/question-and-answer-public-discussion-of-fukushima-impact-on-the-west-coast-of-north-america/#more-1227
- Fukushima forests have lost 57% of their radioactivity since 2011. The average exposure level of 362 forested survey points is currently 0.39 microsieverts per hour. In 2011, soon after the major Fukushima accident releases, the average peaked at 0.91 µSv.hr. This shows that the exposure level is decreasing similarly with the rate attributed to the combination of Cesium-134 and Cs-137. In addition, an average of only 1.07 µSv/hr exists in 134 locations where evacuees are allowed to return home for temporary visits. All readings were taken at 1 meter above the ground. http://www.fukushimaminponews.com/news.html?id=516
- Tepco has posted an English version of its new radiation data summary sheet. Unlike all other radiation data posted since the news media feeding-frenzy over rainwater runoff earlier this year, this is in English. The page graphically shows the histories of drainage ditch and open seawater radioactive levels from 4/22 to 5/21, air dose rate (general area radiation exposure levels) at various points on the site boundary from 4/26 to 5/26, and airborne levels from 4/26 to 5/26. Included is a map of F. Daiichi depicting the locations of all sampling points, boundary monitors, and drainage ditches flow paths. The levels were taken from 3,000 analytical data points. Needless to say, there were no fluctuations outside the norm for the month. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2015/images/handouts_150528_01-e.pdf
- The further removal of used fuel from F. Daiichi might be delayed another three years. Government sources say the transfer of fuel out of unit #3, originally scheduled to begin presently, might not start until after March, 2017. Removal of the fuel bundles from units #1 and #2 was scheduled to start in the 2017-18 fiscal year, but will be delayed until after March, 2020. These delays are not expected to impact the station’s overall roadmap for decommissioning. http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2015/06/357546.html
- Critics of ending Fukushima rent subsidies say Tepco and Tokyo are cheapskates. The cuts are mostly, if not totally directed at voluntary evacuees currently living outside Fukushima Prefecture. The total funds allocated for all housing subsidies, including mandated evacuees, is 28.8 billion yen (~$240 million). The money designated for voluntary evacuees is a tad over 8 billion yen, or about 28% of the total. One allegedly knowledgeable “expert” says, “The reason that a plan to end these subsidies has arisen even though the financial burden is not large may be that government officials want to try and force voluntary evacuees to return to their homes, without respecting evacuees’ own judgments on the matter.” On the other hand, a Fukushima official said, “Non-voluntary evacuees have been using compensation for their lost real-estate to buy homes, and most of the people getting rent subsidies outside of Fukushima Prefecture are probably voluntary evacuees.” The Cabinet Office says the payments cover nearly 19,000 residences in Fukushima Prefecture, and ~10,000 elsewhere in Japan. The plan is to end voluntary evacuee rent subsidies in March, 2017. http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150609p2a00m0na006000c.html
- Japan’s new climate goals cannot be met without 20% nuclear-generated electricity. PM Shinzo Abe’s recently-stated target of 26% GHG reduction by 2030 is ambitious, but possible, says Makoto Yagi, chairman of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan. He called the proposed energy mix for 2030 “well balanced and avoiding excessive reliance on specific power sources. It’s based on our country’s scarcity of natural resources.” However, Yagi cautioned that the targets will not be met if the process of restarting nukes is delayed by regulatory roadblocks. He said, “We should make our utmost effort, but we also hope that the Nuclear Regulation Authority will be conducting safety screenings [of nuclear reactors] in an efficient manner.” His words presaged the NRA’s announcement that some of the pre-operational checks at Sendai station need to be re-done, delaying the lengthy, tedious process of restarts another two weeks. The NRA blames the delays on Kyushu Electric Company for “not mere entry mistakes” in their paperwork, but also omissions and discrepancies in technical data. http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002208943 — http://www.jaif.or.jp/en/nra-to-partially-redo-pre-service-inspections-at-sendai-1/
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