Update # 41: August 2, 2011
by Nelle Maxey
Contamination everywhere in the news today.
Here is the government's solution to the contaminated fertilizer (composted leaf mold or manure) issue. A little radioactive contamination is okay with them.
Govt sets new criteria for contaminated fertilizer
"Japan's government has laid down a new set of criteria for the use of fertilizers that may be contaminated with radioactive cesium.
On Tuesday, the agriculture ministry urged farmers not to use humus and compost that contain 400 becquerels of cesium per kilogram or more.
It also called on them not to use livestock feed containing 300 becquerels of cesium per kilogram or more. For fish feed, the limit was set at 100 becquerels per kilogram.
The ministry says it will notify local governments how to measure cesium in fertilizers as soon as possible…." Tuesday, August 02, 2011 17:55 +0900 (JST)
Beef sales ban in a 4th prefecture.
Govt bans shipments of Tochigi beef cattle
"Japan's government has ordered Tochigi Prefecture to suspend its shipments of beef cattle due to fears of radioactive contamination.
The government ordered the ban on Tuesday after beef from 4 head of cattle shipped from 2 municipalities in the prefecture was found to contain unsafe amounts of radioactive cesium…."
Tuesday, August 02, 2011 18:07 +0900 (JST)
Schizuoka becomes another prefecture to check for contamination in this year's rice crop.
Shizuoka begins checking rice for radiation
"Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, has begun checking locally grown rice for radiation to prove its safety.
The prefectural government brought 2 kilograms of rice in their husks from Kikugawa city to a private testing institution. The early-ripening variety of the rice will be harvested soon.
Shizuoka plans to announce the result of the test on Wednesday.
The farmer who provided the sample rice says he hopes the test will certify the safety of his product.
Shizuoka Prefecture is checking 36 food items including milk and wasabi horseradish. As for rice, the prefecture plans to inspect produce from 3 others areas in early October." Tuesday, August 02, 2011 20:54 +0900 (JST)
More HIGH radioactivity readings at the plant (in Unit 1) are reported today.
High radioactivity level at reactor building
"The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it has detected the highest confirmed indoor level of radioactivity at the facility since the March accident.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, said on Tuesday that the level in a room on the second floor of the Number One reactor building was 5,000 millisieverts per hour.
The utility restricted access to the room, saying it will consider measures to block the radioactivity and that it has no immediate plans for operations needed in the room to bring the troubled reactor under control…." Tuesday, August 02, 2011 20:24 +0900 (JST)
Energy News carried 3 stories related to these latest high radiation counts discovered at the plant.
This one is from Mainichi News:
TEPCO needs to check if high radiation doses are "spreading elsewhere" – Two more spots appear to be above 10 sieverts per hour, but no plans to actually take measurements
This one is from Australia's ABC News:
Quotes from Peter Burns, former chief executive officer of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency
"The levels reported of 10 sieverts per hour are very high levels and it's going to be very difficult to manage workers going into those areas and doing operations."
"10 sieverts is actually a lethal dose of radiation. So you can't afford to be exposed for more than a few minutes at those levels."
"It means you're directly exposed to fuel rods in the reactors or the spent fuel ponds very closely and while it's possible to get to those levels it means there is very little shielding going on there."
And this from the New York Times: Fatal Radiation Level Found at Fukushima Daiichi Plant
New York Times by Martin Fackler, August 1, 2011:
"The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant said Monday that it measured the highest radiation levels within the plant since it was crippled by a devastating earthquake. However, it said the discovery would not slow continuing efforts to bring the plant's damaged reactors under control.
The operator, Tokyo Electric Power, said that workers on Monday afternoon had found an area near Reactors No. 1 and 2, where radiation levels exceeded their measuring device's maximum reading of 10 sieverts per hour – a fatal dose for humans. […]"
Finally the government begins to coordinate radiation monitoring.
Govt to conduct comprehensive radiation monitoring
"Japan's government has decided to start comprehensive radiation monitoring this year by coordinating organizations that have been checking radiation levels since the Fukushima nuclear accident in March.
The government decided on the plan on Tuesday in response to criticism about difficulty in referring to results of such checks by various ministries, agencies, prefectural governments and utilities.
The plan divides monitoring activities into 6 fields including air, water, farm soil and grass, and food.
Organizations are to be in charge of monitoring and analyzing results in each field and proposing concrete measures.
The government is to set up about 250 monitoring points across the country and draw up maps showing radiation levels at children's facilities, such as schools and public libraries.
The science ministry is expected to set up a website to provide such data by mid-August." Tuesday, August 02, 2011 19:33 +0900 (JST)
And on the political front, more past government/industry collusion revealed, local politicians and the public increase their demands, and Tokoyo University begins low level radiation health study.
Nuclear agency's meddling revealed again
"Another case of questionable conduct by Japan's nuclear regulator has come to light. A former official of the nuclear safety agency has admitted asking a regional utility to mobilize its people for a government symposium on nuclear power 5 years ago.
One of the agency's former section chiefs told NHK that he made the request to an executive of Shikoku Electric Power Company ahead of the symposium in Ehime Prefecture.
The former section chief said he pushed the utility to take part actively in the event by posing questions and expressing opinions. He said he wanted its participation because opponents of nuclear power had prevented constructive debate at a similar symposium the previous year…."
Tuesday, August 02, 2011 09:39 +0900 (JST)
Hiroshima mayor to call for energy review
"Hiroshima's mayor will call on the Japanese government to review its energy policy in an annual peace declaration on August 6th, the day the city was hit by a US atomic bomb in 1945.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Mayor Kazumi Matsui said Japanese people have lost their trust in nuclear power amid the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
But the mayor said people are divided over whether to totally scrap nuclear power generation. He said it will be best for him to describe the situation realistically in the declaration.
The mayor of the other atom-bombed city, Nagasaki, already disclosed last month that he would urge the government to shift away from nuclear energy to safer sources in his annual peace declaration on August 9th." Tuesday, August 02, 2011 14:10 +0900 (JST)
Court injunction sought against reactor restarts
"People living near 7 nuclear reactors in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, have sought a court injunction against restarting them. The reactors are currently offline for scheduled maintenance.
Some 170 people, including residents of neighboring Shiga Prefecture, oppose the restart of 7 reactors at 3 nuclear power stations due to safety concerns…." Wednesday, August 03, 2011 00:49 +0900 (JST)
Hiroshima University to study low-level exposure
"Hiroshima University is to launch a study focusing on the health impact of exposure to low-level radiation.
The university has set up a committee of about 40 researchers to apply their knowledge to support people affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident. The university has been providing medical care to atomic bomb survivors.
The committee has 3 main themes: analysis of the impact of low-level radioactive exposure on human genes; medical response to internal exposure and exposure during an emergency; and support for a health survey conducted by Fukushima Prefecture.
The university says that when cumulative exposure reaches 100 millisieverts, the chances of developing cancer are said to rise by 0.5 percent.
It also says there is not enough data available anywhere in the world about an exposure to radiation below that level." Wednesday, August 03, 2011 00:49 +0900 (JST)
SKF has many details and pictures on both the contaminated manure and leaf compost and on the high levels of radiation being measured at the site (including tweets from a worker at the site).
More of the presentations from Vermont have been released by Arnie Gunderson of Fairewinds Associates, released July 31, 2011.
Included in this presentation and PowerPoint is a discussion of how nuclear power plants work, how to cool a reactor during an accident, the effect of hot particles when inhaled, and concerns involving the long-term storage of nuclear waste. This presentation took place at the Nuclear Power Conference held at the University of Vermont July 23, 2011.
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The Watershed Sentinel is proud to share Nelle Maxey's Fukushima Updates prepared for the BC environmental community.
Every day, Nelle pours over the media and other reports of the status of the reactors at Fukushima, comparing figures and trying to make sense out of the conflicting reports.Saturday, July 23, 2011 13:41 +0900 (JST)