nuclear-news

Radioactive gravel in school building in Japan

Radioactive gravel finds way to school, Japan Times, 20 Jan 12, Hunt is on for other shipments from quarry in evacuation zone Kyodo FUKUSHIMA — Radiation-contaminated gravel shipped from a quarry in the evacuation zone around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant found its way to an elementary school building as well as roads and pathways around
houses, sources said Wednesday. The gravel went into concrete that was used to make an elementary school in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, more resistant to earthquakes. The area where the gravel was used had a radiation reading of 0.1 to 0.2 microsieverts per hour.

“We are surprised at the news as we had never expected it. We’d like to make efforts to ensure children’s health by checking the radiation level on a regular basis,” the school’s principal said.

The gravel was also used for approach lanes to two houses as well as
in asphalt for city streets in Kawamata, Fukushima Prefecture, the
sources said.

The gravel came from a quarry company sometime between the start of
the nuclear crisis March 11 and the government’s designation of the
evacuation zone on April 22, they said.

Namie and parts of Kawamata are located in the evacuation zone around
the nuclear plant.

The government has been trying to identify distribution routes and
destinations of gravel and rock from the quarry company, Futaba
Saiseki Kogyo, as well as other quarries in the area.

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yukio Edano said Tuesday the
government will speed up its effort to track the distribution routes.

The government said Monday it started the probe after it learned in
December that a high level of radiation was detected on the first
floor of a new condominium building in Nihonmatsu, whose concrete
foundations were made by incorporating crushed stone from the Namie
quarry.

The quarry company also said Monday that since the nuclear crisis
started it has shipped 5,280 tons of gravel from Namie to 19
construction companies.

Radiation of up to 1.24 microsieverts per hour, higher than the level
outside the condo building, was detected inside after a junior high
school student living there showed cumulative exposure of 1.62
millisieverts in the three months through November.

Shipping of gravel from the evacuation area has not been permitted
since the zone was officially established…..
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120119a4.html

January 20, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | incidents, Japan