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Japanese parents sceptical over lack of action on radiation levels in schools

School radiation cleanup slammed, The Japan Times Online, 3 June 11 Parents flunk ministry over soil-removal policy shift Kyodo Despite the education ministry’s recent move to set a new nonbinding target to reduce the radiation children in Fukushima Prefecture are exposed to at schools, experts, local educators and parents don’t feel reassured.

On May 27, the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry said it will strive to limit the radiation exposure of students to 1 millisievert or less a year while they are at school.

The move came after a barrage of criticism from parents in the prefecture who fear radiation leaking from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant could increase their kids’ chances of developing leukemia or cancer. Some, supported by activists, lodged a protest outside the ministry on May 23.

But the new limit is only a “best effort” target, and an earlier — and binding — radiation limit is still intact. In April, the ministry set a limit of 3.8 microsieverts per hour for playground use at schools in the prefecture. Together with estimated exposure from outside of school grounds, total annual exposure could grow to 20 millisieverts.

“The way the ministry is handling the school radiation issue makes me feel like it’s someone else’s problem,” said Junko Matsubara, a former member of the Nuclear Safety Commission. “Just setting the 1 millisievert target doesn’t get anywhere.”

The former member of the state nuclear watchdog urged the education ministry to take real action instead of playing with figures and lead local authorities as they try to remove contaminated soil from school grounds.

So far, the ministry has provided no specific guidance or instructions to help local governments reduce radiation levels at schools…
School radiation cleanup slammed | The Japan Times Online

June 3, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | - Fukushima 2011