Limitless power arriving too late: Why fusion won’t help us decarbonise — RenewEconomy
A limitless, clean source of baseload power might be within reach – without the nuclear waste of traditional fission nuclear plants. That’s good, right? Not quite. The post Limitless power arriving too late: Why fusion won’t help us decarbonise appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Limitless power arriving too late: Why fusion won’t help us decarbonise — RenewEconomy
| I first heard the standard joke about fusion as an undergraduate physics student in the 1960s: Fusion power is 50 years away – and probably always will be. More than 50 years later, we still don’t have fusion. That’s because of the huge experimental challenges in recreating a miniature sun on earth. Still, real progress is being made. This month, UK fusion researchers managed to double previous records of producing energy. Last year, American scientists came close to ignition, the tantalising moment where fusion puts more energy out than it needs to start the reaction. And small, fast-moving fusion startups are making progress using different techniques. A limitless, clean source of baseload power might be within reach – without the nuclear waste of traditional fission nuclear plants. That’s good, right? Not quite. While we’re closer than ever to making commercial fusion viable, this new power source simply won’t get here in time to do the heavy lifting of decarbonisation. We are racing the clock to limit damage from climate change. Luckily, we already have the technologies we need to decarbonise. On the megaproject front, the next step is the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) being built in southern France. Far too big for any one country, this is a joint effort by countries including USA, Russia, China, the UK and EU member countries. The project is enormous, with a vessel ten times the size of the UK reactor and around 5,000 technical experts, scientists and engineers working on it. Famously, the project’s largest magnet is strong enough to lift an aircraft carrier. Even this enormous project is only expected to produce slightly more power than it uses – around 500 megawatts. The first experiments are expected by 2025. To me, this illustrates how far away commercial fusion really is. Renew Economy 25th Feb 2022https://reneweconomy.com.au/limitless-power-arriving-too-late-why-fusion-wont-help-us-decarbonise/ |
February 25 Energy News — geoharvey
Opinion: ¶ “Red-State Voters Want Clean Energy Too. Just Ask Nebraska” • Nebraska turned more than a few heads recently when its public officials adopted net-zero carbon goals for electricity. Renewable energy enjoys support among voters regardless of their politics. While Democrats may be motivated by the climate, Republicans see economic benefits. [CleanTechnica] Nebraska (Taylor […]
February 25 Energy News — geoharvey
Nuclear politics – fear and militarism – theme for March 2022
War in UKraine
Joy to the weapons -makers of Western and Russian corporations.
Joy to the macho men of the Pentagon and the Russian Armed Forces
Joy to the political leaders who want their communities to forget about health, climate, and what is being done with their tax money
Joy to the nuclear industry, commercial-and military (they’re the same thing!)
The world waits to see what will be the outcome of hostilities in Uk.raine. No, Putin should not have attacked Ukraine. But also – No – the West, led of course by the world’s policeman, USA, did nothing to meet the very real concerns of Russia – understandable fears of being almost encricled by hostile NATO military installations – Ukraine being the most imprtant state on their doorstep.
Also the 8 years of war in Donestk and Luhansk – the genuine concerns of ethnically Russian people, and the presence of a Nazi -membered battalian attacking them – these factors were ignored by Biden and his Western disciples.
No answer to Putin’s list of requests, no concessions made, no compromises.
The result – terrible for Ukraine, pretty terrible for Russia and the rest of the world.
Why nuclear risk from war in Ukraine isn’t missiles, but accidental hits on reactors
“In case of the total destruction of the power plant, I think the consequences would be so much worse than at Fukushima and Chernobyl together,” Mr Gumenyuk said. “If speaking about consequences of this war situation, Europe will be totally contaminated.”
Why nuclear risk from war in Ukraine isn’t missiles but accidental hits on reactors, Kyiv safety expert warns, By Isabella Bengoechea i , 23 Feb 22
Kyiv nuclear safety expert Dmytro Gumenyuk told i while a direct attack is unlikely, military invasion raises the risk of possible accidental hits from missiles or artillery
Ukraine’s nuclear power plants would pose a risk of radioactive pollution in Europe if caught in the crossfire of a Russian invasion, a Kyiv safety expert has told i.
The chance of a direct military attack on such facilities would be highly unlikely but a lack of high-precision weapons in the occupied Donbas suggests there could be an increased chance of sensitive facilities being hit accidentally.
If this happens, radiation could contaminate air, soil and waterways, affecting not only Ukraine but also Russia and much of Europe, according to Dmytro Gumenyuk, head of safety analysis at the State Scientific and Technical Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, a body within the state nuclear inspectorate.
Ukraine has 15 nuclear reactors in four power plants, which provide 52 per cent of the country’s electricity: Khelnitsky and Rivne in the northwest, and Zaporizhzhia and the South Ukrainian plants in the west and south respectively.
Some facilities including a nuclear waste storage site in the exclusion zone at Chernobyl – where in 1986 catastrophic failure at the power plant resulted in the worst nuclear disaster in history – lie close to the country’s borders, where Russia has amassed nearly 200,000 troops.
The plant at Zaporizhzhia is only about 150 miles from the front line in Donetsk, while the South Ukrainian plant is about another 160 miles further west.
While a direct attack is unlikely, military invasion raises the risk of possible accidental hits from missiles or artillery. On Tuesday the thermal power station at Shchastya, near the conflict line in Luhansk, caught fire amid shelling, leaving 40,000 residents without electricity.
Mr Gumenyuk said: “Our NPP [nuclear power plant] wasn’t designed for military protection. Of course it wasn’t designed against tanks, bombs, missiles and so on.
“In case of a military attack it is not a long time for getting from Dontesk to Zaporizhzhia NPP, and of course taking into account the small distances from the Russian Federation, we could suppose that our power plants are not fully protected from military attack from our neighbour.”
A direct attack by Russia is unlikely. Lada Roslycky, founder of the Ukraine-based Black Trident defence and security group, said: “From a military perspective and a defence perspective it would be an idiotic action.”
However, she pointed out the separatists’ lack of high-precision weapons in conflict in the occupied Donbas does raise the chance of sensitive facilities being hit accidentally.
She also suggested that this could be part of a Russian strategy of fomenting uncertainty through psychological warfare, by holding out the threat of attacking such facilities. “I really don’t think they would do it [attack nuclear facilities] but it’s possible … it’s such a wonderful, brilliant instrument,” she said.
The Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS) said it is “right to be concerned about Ukraine’s 15 ageing Soviet-design nuclear reactors”.
“The three reactors at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant and the six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are the two sites most likely to be affected by a Russian invasion,” the observatory added.
The VVER 1000 pressurised water reactors at Zaporizhzhia each contain 163 assemblies – or structured groups of fuel rods. Each assembly contains about 500kg of uranium dioxide, making the total fuel inside one reactor about 80 tonnes.
After the 2011 nuclear disaster at Fukushima in Japan, Ukrainian nuclear authorities implemented extra safety measures to make their reactors safer, and protect against accidents such as fires and flooding.
However, Mr Gumenyuk warned that were the plant to be attacked, in the worst-case scenario, the consequences would be devastating.
“In case of the total destruction of the power plant, I think the consequences would be so much worse than at Fukushima and Chernobyl together,” Mr Gumenyuk said. “If speaking about consequences of this war situation, Europe will be totally contaminated.”
Soon after the disaster, radioactive rain began falling across northern Britain. In Cumbria detectors showed background radiation 200 times higher than normal. In Scotland two months later it was 4,000 times. Sheep in North Wales, Cumbria, and Scotland were found to have increased levels of caesium-137, prompting temporary restrictions on meat sales for 7,000 farms.
A nuclear disaster at Zaporizhzhia would contaminate the water, entering the Dneiper River and travelling down into the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea and then out into the Mediterranean.
In the event of a meltdown, radiation could contaminate the air where, depending on weather conditions, it could spread across Europe, as happened after the Chernobyl accident, when radiation spread as far as Sweden and the UK.
“But this is if all the units are totally destroyed,” said Mr Gumenyuk. “We do our best to prevent this situation. I hope in most cases our power units would survive even in single hits. Our nuclear reactors have containment to protect against the different impacts, including an air crash for example.”
Chernobyl’s nuclear waste
Ukraine’s nuclear waste storage facilities, including in the exclusion zone at Chernobyl, 70 miles south of the Belarussian border, also pose a radiation risk.
Last year Energoatom, the state nuclear operator, announced that Ukraine’s new Central Spent Fuel Storage Facility, in the exclusion zone at Chernobyl, was almost ready to begin operating. Spent fuel will be transferred to the new facility from where it is currently stored at power plants.
At present Russia has about 30,000 troops stationed in Belarus, apparently for joint military exercises, which are armed with short-range missiles, rocket launchers and Su-35 fighters. Leaders including Boris Johnson have suggested that Russia is planning at attack from Belarus, “coming down from the north, coming down from Belarus, and encircling Kyiv itself”. The route could take Russian troops through the exclusion zone.
According to CEOBS: “Decommissioning of the [Chernobyl] site and the packaging of waste is ongoing and will continue for decades. The site is under constant management and monitoring and the disruption caused by a conflict would impact the ongoing work to reduce the risks it poses. It seems likely that foreign companies would withdraw staff in the event of an invasion, impacting activities at the site.”
There are 22,000 assemblies of spent nuclear fuel at the storage site, kept in special casks to protect them.
However, Mr Gumenyuk pointed out that these were not protected against military firepower: “In case of the destruction of these casks, radioactive materials could be released and transferred to Ukraine and other European territories. This is a very dangerous situation.”
While some experts say any disruption to the site would be localised, Mr Gumenyuk said: “I disagree, the number of the fuel assemblies is very big and if all the casks were destroyed it would not only be the problem of Ukraine, maybe not all Europe, but many countries.”
Cyberattacks are another possibility. Last week Ukrainian government websites and banks were shut down by a wave of distributed denial of service attacks, thought to have been carried out by Russian hackers.
In 2015 the country’s energy sector was attacked by the BlackEnergy computer virus that caused a blackout of 800,000 households across 103 towns.
The next year, on the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, Ukraine’s then-President Poroshenko said: “If the BlackEnergy virus was used for attacks on our power distributors, there is no guarantee that such technology will not threaten our nuclear plants”.
“Chernobyl is already volatile,” said Ms Roslycky. “Cyberattacks against Chernobyl call for attention… whether attacking kinetically or through cyber, when that happens this is something that would threaten global security.”
Accident, terrorism or sabotage
Direct attacks on the plants at Zaporizhzhia and South Ukraine are also unlikely, not least because Russia is not far from the power plants, and any radioactive contamination would affect Russia as well as Ukraine.
However, the possibility of an accident, terrorism or sabotage is somewhat higher. According to the Nuclear Security Index for 2020, Ukraine scores highly on global norms for nuclear materials security and implementing international commitments, with 94 and 78 out of 100 respectively.
However, under ‘risk environment’, which considers factors including political stability, effective governance, pervasiveness of corruption, and illicit activities by non-state actors, Ukraine scores 14.
A 2016 report by the EU Non-Proliferation Consortium drew attention to the illicit trafficking of radioactive materials in the DPR, LPR and unrecognised Transnistria in Moldova. “The armed conflict in eastern Ukraine and its related threats are dramatically influencing the nuclear security conditions in the country,” it said.
“Political and social instability amplifies the motivation of criminal or terrorist groups or organisations for illegal business related to the distribution of radioactive materials that are out of regulatory control.”
The danger of these armed insurgencies was highlighted most dramatically in 2014 when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Donetsk in eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian separatists, killing all 298 on board. The Dutch-led investigation into the incident concluded that the plane was shot down with a Buk missile supplied by the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Federation. Those responsible may have believed they were shooting down a Ukrainian military aircraft…………………………………………. https://inews.co.uk/news/ukraine-war-nuclear-risk-russia-missiles-accidental-hits-reactors-1478269
Britain’s nuclear submarine base at risk from climate change
The United Kingdom’s nuclear military bases are being threatened by climate change, according to a recent report from the Nuclear Consulting Group. Paul Dorfman, the report’s author, said that the U.K.’s coastal nuclear infrastructure is vulnerable to flooding, due to rising sea levels and more frequent and severe storms.
“All of the models or predictions, all of the analysis, all of the data has really begun to run hot,” Dorfman told CNBC. “It’s good that people are taking notice, but it’s bad that this new data is showing us that we really do need to get our acttogether.”
The report also found that coastal flooding frequency is estimated to increase by between 10 and more than 100 in several European locations. In the United States, “the Pentagon has recently reported that
79 nuclear military bases will be affected by rising sea-levels and frequent flooding,” Dorfman added.
CNBC 21st Feb 2022
Putin says that Ukraine is a nuclear threat
 | |||
Vladimir Putin labels Ukraine a nuclear threat, says he’s prepared to use force, THE AUSTRALIAN, 23 Feb 22, JACQUELIN MAGNAY, EUROPE CORRESPONDENT@jacquelinmagnay
Russian president Vladimir Putin has announced he would use military force “depending on the situation on the ground” to defend the rights of people in the separatist regions Donetsk and Luhansk.
After receiving approval from the Russian parliament to deploy troops abroad into Ukraine, Mr Putin labelled Ukraine a nuclear threat, telling the Russian people it wanted to lose its neutrality, join NATO and that it received military shipments from the West. Mr Putin also claimed that citizens in the Donbas region were being “abused”.
Crucially, Mr Putin recognised the independence of the entire Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and its broader territorial ambitions, not just the area controlled by Russian backed separatists.
About two-thirds of this area, known broadly as the Donbas, is currently in Ukrainian control.
Mr Putin said Ukraine was being “armed to the teeth” and that its nuclear threat was a strategic issue. He said Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky’s remark that he regretted Ukraine giving up nuclear weapons in 1994 was targeted directly at Russia.
“We have taken a note of them,” Mr Putin said………………….
Mr Putin said that Russia recognised the territory was now independent and warned the border region had been a threat to the Russian Federation………………………. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/vladimir-putin-labels-ukraine-a-nuclear-threat-says-hes-prepared-to-use-force/news-story/9ab06086551856b2847c06d91467cb26
Activist groups to rally against plutonium disposal project at Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
Adrian HeddenCarlsbad Current-Argus 23 Feb 22, A plan to dilute weapons-grade plutonium and then dispose of it at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, an underground repository for low-level nuclear waste near Carlsbad, drew concerns from around New Mexico amid fears transporting this stream of waste could risk public safety.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced in 2020 a plan that would ship the plutonium from the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas to Los Alamos National Laboratory where it would be chemically diluted.
The waste would then head to the DOE’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina for packaging before the final shipment to WIPP in southeast New Mexico.
This would mean the 34 metric tons of the waste on the way to its final resting place at the WIPP site could pass through New Mexico three times.
Cynthia Weehler, co-chair of Santa Fe-based activist group 285 All said this creates an unacceptable risk for local communities in New Mexico and 11 states she said the waste would travel through.
285 All advocates for issues throughout New Mexico, focusing on U.S. Highway 285 which stretches from the mountains in northern New Mexico down into the high desert and oilfields of the southeast region, crossing into West Texas.
That’s why Weehler and a consortium of groups critical of WIPP and nuclear activities in New Mexico planned to deliver a petition to New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham next week, asking the state’s highest government leader to oppose the plutonium project.
“Unless New Mexico says NO to WIPP expansion, other disposal locations will not be developed, and WIPP will always be the only dump site, which is not fair. New Mexico never agreed to bear the burden of being the only site,” read a portion of the petition.
Weehler said the petition has about 1,140 signatures as of Monday and is being distributed in the Santa Fe area and to communities along the transportation routes.
The petition will be delivered to the State Capitol at 11:30 a.m., March 1 during a press conference on the east side of the Roundhouse.
“We don’t expect an accident to happen every week or every community, but when you increase the time and the shipments, we just see this as an inevitability over the time frame,” Weehler said. “It’s going to be a huge increase in shipments and it’s going to last almost this whole century.”
Weehler said Lujan Grisham should cite the legal agreement between the State and DOE that defines WIPP’s mission: to dispose of low-level transuranic (TRU) waste at the site near Carlsbad, streams she said were pre-determined by the agreement and should not be expanded.
If the DOE’s plutonium plan moves forward, Weehler said it would amount to an “expansion” of WIPP both in its mission and the volume of waste it would accept.
“The waste would be plutonium-contaminated material, contaminated during the production of nuclear weapons,” Weehler said. “This is something different (than TRU waste).”
WIPP officials said this was not the case……………………………..
The plutonium would be “down blended” meaning its level of radioactivity would be lowered so that the waste would qualify as TRU waste and could be disposed of at WIPP without adjusting federal policy.
“In order for it qualify, they’re having to dilute it. They’re having to adulterate it,” Weehler said. “This will never be acceptable. For them to say that is just unbelievable to me.” ……….. https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2022/02/23/wipp-activist-groups-rally-against-plutonium-disposal-project/6878583001/
US and Russian doctors warn of possible global catastrophe from escalating conflict in Ukraine — IPPNW peace and health blog
IPPNW Briefing Paper: War in Eastern Europe American and Russian physicians representing IPPNW are warning that a war in Ukraine could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe as a result of conventional fighting and the attendant risks to that country’s nuclear power facilities and of escalation to nuclear war. A war could also lead to another […]
US and Russian doctors warn of possible global catastrophe from escalating conflict in Ukraine — IPPNW peace and health blog
Taiwan partially lifts import bans on Japanese foods
Political expediancy, lies and cover up, propaganda!
Feb. 21, 2022
Taiwan says it has partially lifted import bans on Japanese foods on Monday that have been in force since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant accident.
Taiwan had stopped importing all food items from Fukushima and the nearby prefectures of Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma and Chiba. The ban excluded alcoholic drinks.
Officials announced earlier this month that they would lift the ban, except for wild bird and animal meat as well as mushrooms from those prefectures.
They said the move was based on global standards and ‘scientific proof’and noted that most countries have eased restrictions.
Taiwanese authorities say they sought feedback from the public about the decision and ‘received only a few objections’.
Food from the five prefectures must still be accompanied by test results for radioactive materials, and all items will be subject to inspections in Taiwan.
All prefectures must also still provide proof of origin.
Officials in Japan say the safety of the food has been scientifically proven and they will continue asking Taiwan to lift all the regulations.
Taiwan officially scraps ban on food from 5 Japanese prefectures
Political expediancy sacrificing people’s health…
Decision to lift ban announced earlier this month as government eyes CPTPP entry
2022/02/21
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The ban on food from parts of Japan affected by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster was formally lifted on Monday (Feb. 21).
The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration promulgated the removal of the ban on Feb. 21 after reviewing public feedback. Three dozen comments were submitted, including 17 in favor of ending the ban and four against, as well as 15 inquiries and suggestions.
The goods in question are from five Japanese prefectures: Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki, and Tochigi. With the scrapping of the ban, which has been in place for a decade, goods from these areas will be subject to risk controls when imported.
Food products that are prohibited from circulating within Japan, such as wildlife meat and mushrooms from those five prefectures, will not be allowed to enter Taiwan. Radiation safety and product origin certificates are required for items deemed to be high-risk, such as tea and aquatic products.
Despite the government’s pledge to implement rigorous border inspections, some believe more needs to be done to ensure food safety. Earlier this month, the New Power Party aired concern about possible traces of strontium-90 in the Japanese imports, as the isotope is not on the radiation watch list, and exposure to it may increase the risk of bone cancer.
Radioactive farm to be leased to wind farm without decontamination
February 15, 2022
On January 5, it was learned that Tohoku University had leased the Tohoku University Ranch in Miyagi Prefecture, which was contaminated with radioactive materials due to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant of the Tokyo Electric Power Company in 2011, to a large-scale wind power generation project without decontaminating the land. It was learned on January 5. According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), there is no other example of a university leasing land contaminated with radioactive materials, which is highly unusual. However, according to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), there has been no other case in which land contaminated with radioactive materials has been leased.
Unusual lease of university land
The project is called the Rokkaku Ranch Wind Power Project (tentative name). The project, tentatively called the “Rokkaku Farm Wind Power Generation Project,” will install up to 20 wind turbines with a maximum height of 200 meters at the Rokkaku Farm in the Tohoku University Kawatabi Field Center, which straddles the cities of Osaki and Kurihara in Miyagi Prefecture. The maximum output will be 70,000 kilowatts, and all the power generated will be sold to Tohoku Electric Power Co. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2023, with the aim of starting operation at the end of fiscal year 2025.
The operator of the project is Kawatabi Wind Power Generation (President: Toru Suzuki), which is made up of the wind power generation company Shimin Wind Power (Sapporo City) and its affiliate CSS (Sapporo City). At present, the environmental impact assessment is in the second of three stages, the “method statement” stage.
Since the amendment of the National University Corporation Act in 2009, it has been possible for universities to lease idle land to third parties unrelated to their original business. In November 2008, Tohoku University applied to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for the lease of 3.76 million square meters of ranch land. The application was approved in March of the following year.
According to Tohoku University, the university signed a contract with Kawatabi Wind Power Generation in March 2020 to lease the land to the university through an open competition. According to Tohoku University, the university contracted with Kawatabi Wind Power in March 2020 to lease the land from the public. The annual rental fee is 80 million yen, and the term is 20 years after the start of power generation.
No decontamination of hot spots
However, the ranch was a “hot spot” where radiation levels were locally high due to the nuclear accident in 2011. Immediately after the accident at the nuclear power plant, radioactive materials formed a “radioactive plume” that flowed with the atmosphere like a cloud, and passed over the northern part of Miyagi Prefecture on the wind. This is because it fell on parts of the cities of Osaki and Kurihara.
According to Tohoku University, radioactive cesium was also detected at Rokkaku Farm, and cattle grazing was suspended. Although decontamination was considered, it was not carried out due to the vastness of the area, and the ranch was left unattended.
At the Miyagi Prefecture Environmental Impact Assessment Technical Review Meeting held in April last year, one of the procedures for environmental assessment, an expert on radioactive materials pointed out that “10,000 to 30,000 becquerels per square meter fell in the area. This is the first time I have ever seen such a thing. He expressed concern that the construction of the wind power generation facility would cause the radioactive materials to flow into the surrounding areas, saying, “If the soil is tampered with improperly, it may turn into muddy water and flow into areas that are not the university’s land.
According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), it has approved a total of 26 leases of idle property to national universities nationwide since the law was revised, but Tohoku University is the only one that has applied for a lease because of radioactive contamination. Tohoku University is the only university that has applied for a lease because of radioactive contamination, and the only other university that has applied for a lease for a renewable energy project is Kyoto University for solar power generation.
Tohoku University said, “We measured radiation levels when we leased the land this time, and while it is not suitable for grazing cattle, there is no problem with radiation exposure when the developer works on the land.
189 200-meter class wind turbines
The Naruko Onsen area of Osaki City, where the ranch is located, is known for its kokeshi dolls, and is one of the top hot spring resorts in Japan, designated as a “national hot spring resort” by the Ministry of the Environment. In the vicinity of the ranch, seven companies, including Rokkaku Farm, are currently working on a huge wind power generation project. A residents’ group, “Naruko Hot Spring Village,” is planning to build a total of 18 wind turbines up to 200 meters in height.
A residents’ group, “Naruko Onsen no Kurashi to Kofukawa wo Kangaeru Kai” (headed by Yoshitake Sone), pointed out, “If the wind turbines are built without decontamination, not only will contaminants flow out, but wind pressure from the turbines may scatter radioactive materials. If the wind turbines are built without decontamination, not only will contaminants leak out, but wind pressure from the turbines may scatter radioactive materials. Tohoku University must be held accountable for its decision to lease the land without any explanation to the residents,” he said, calling for a complete reversal of the plan. Since the end of last year, we have been collecting signatures on the “Change.org” website and other sites. The government’s approval standards are questionable.
Doubts about the government’s approval standards
The revised National University Corporation Act stipulates that one of the criteria for the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to approve the lease of idle land to national universities is that the land “shall not be used for any purpose that may cause inconvenience to the surrounding area, such as generating or using noise, vibration, dust, visual discomfort, bad odor, electromagnetic waves, or hazardous materials.
In addition to radioactive contamination, concerns about health hazards due to noise and low-frequency sound, as well as visual discomfort to the landscape, have been raised by residents’ groups and the prefectural government’s technical review committee members.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s National University Corporation Support Division said, “The government approves the project on the premise that the university will make sure that the operator complies with the approval standards. If the operator does not comply with the standards, the government will inquire with Tohoku University,” he said.
Regarding the construction of many wind turbines on un-decontaminated land, a Kawatabi Wind Power representative said, “We will investigate the project during the environmental assessment procedure, and based on the results of the investigation, we will plan the project in a way that will not cause any problems while listening to the opinions of experts.
Hitoshi Izu, 60, director of the Finance Department and deputy director of the Asset Management Center at Tohoku University, said, “In the future, after the government approves the wind power generation project, if any problems are reported by residents, the primary responsibility lies with the project owner, but Tohoku University, which owns the land, will not pretend not to know. But Tohoku University, as the owner of the land, will not just pretend not to know about it. There has been no such discussion at this time, but if there is a problem in the future, we will respond sincerely,” he said.
Online Tour by Reconstruction Agency to Consider Decommissioning of TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
2022/02/20
On February 20, an online tour was held at the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Nuclear Decommissioning Museum in Tomioka Town, Fukushima Prefecture, to have people from inside and outside of the prefecture think about the decommissioning of TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The speakers voiced the need for greater transparency in the dissemination of information about the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Prof. Nobuhisa Murao of Kwansei Gakuin University, who appeared as a commentator, said that it was important to ensure the transparency of decommissioning work and pointed out that “even small accidents should be made public immediately without hiding them. Masato Kino, director general of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, said, “It is important to disclose information on both good and inconvenient matters.
Idol Ayaka Wada, who visited the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant last December, also made an appearance. She said, “I learned that it will take a long time to decommission the plant. Some of the participants suggested that the younger generation should be encouraged to visit the disaster area.
The online tour was organized by the Reconstruction Agency. The online tour was sponsored by the Reconstruction Agency and distributed nationwide via the video-sharing website YouTube. Mr. Kino explained the latest developments in the removal of molten nuclear fuel (debris), measures for contaminated and treated water, and improvements in the working environment. He accepted questions from the participants and exchanged opinions with them.
https://www.minpo.jp/news/moredetail/2022022094602?fbclid=IwAR2npqJ8B2NtHQQMh4O5Hq49pI1lWS9cLCb_ImXblfhX8idUhHAs4eu0nIA
46% of school lunches use ingredients from Fukushima Prefecture, the highest rate since 2010
February 10, 2022
The percentage of prefectural food ingredients used in school lunches in Fukushima Prefecture this year was 46.0% (up 1.8 points from the previous year), the highest since 2010, before the Great East Japan Earthquake. The prefecture’s Board of Education has been supporting the prefecture’s dietary education. The prefectural board of education attributes the increase to efforts to increase opportunities to use the prefecture’s food, including the provision of the “Fukushima Health Support Menu” designed by a company that supports dietary education. The prefectural board of education announced the results on September 9.
The graph below shows the rate of utilization. In fiscal 2012, the year following the earthquake and the nuclear accident, the percentage dropped to 18.3% due to concerns about radioactive materials, but it has been on a recovery trend since then.
The utilization rate by region is as shown in the table below. The utilization rate by region is as shown in [Table]. Minamiaizu has the highest rate at 59.1%, which is due to the direct provision of foodstuffs in cooperation with farmers. The prefectural board of education hopes to expand the good practice to the entire prefecture.
In terms of food items, beans were the most popular at 66.5%, due to the fact that they can be easily incorporated into side dishes and soups as tofu and natto. Rice and other grains accounted for 63.9%, followed by fruits at 54.2%.
The survey was conducted at a total of 280 facilities, including public schools, municipal community kitchens, and prefectural schools that provide complete school lunches, and looked at the percentage of prefectural food ingredients in the food items used in a daily school lunch over a total of 10 days from June 14 to 18 and November 15 to 19 last year.
https://www.minyu-net.com/news/news/FM20220210-684498.php?fbclid=IwAR0j3BiDuSmR21dggtT97x9ziE_zoUoKK9kpEQFRhqyNOEFpQrZUCA_5BY0
Miyagi prefectural assembly: “Don’t hand out flyers to schools about treated nuclear water
2022/02/21
On February 21, opposition members of the Miyagi Prefectural Assembly asked the prefecture not to distribute flyers directly to schools in Miyagi Prefecture, saying that treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) will be safely disposed of in the sea.
Fourteen members of the opposition faction of the prefectural assembly submitted the request to Miyagi Prefecture.
In December 021, the national government issued a flyer to schools across Japan stating that the tritium-containing treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which is scheduled to be released into the ocean in the spring of 2023, will be “safely disposed of in the ocean.
In the letter of request submitted on the 21st of February, it was stated that the safety of tritium is not in question. In the letter of request submitted on December 21, the prefectural government was requested that the leaflets not be distributed to children and students in the prefecture, saying that even experts have different opinions on the safety of to be released water which is claimed in the leaflets.
The prefectural government responded that it is not planning to collect the flyers at prefectural schools and will leave the decision on municipal schools to the respective boards of education.
The lawmakers plan to ask the government for an explanation through their political parties.
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26 April – Chernobyl: Inside the Meltdown airs on National Geographic on Sunday 26th April from 4pm
Pine Ridge Uranium is the real threat, not Tehran- Tell Burgum: Stop the Extraction.
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/2352741955560
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