Why a Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima? An animated film with a connection to Hiroshima
February 27, 2022
Why was it necessary to build a nuclear power plant in Fukushima? Mr. Hidenobu Fukumoto, 65, a Hiroshima resident who works as a picture-story show artist named Teppei Ikumasa, has created a 57-minute animation titled “Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant: The Beginning of the Story ‘Toge'” that traces the historical background of the nuclear power plant from the perspective of a disaster victim, including an unexpected connection to Hiroshima, where the atomic bomb was dropped. The work asks, “What do the repeated disasters caused by radiation appeal to us? This work asks the question.
High economic growth and the ongoing debate on nuclear power
The protagonist of the story is a man in his 60s who was forced to leave his hometown and live as an evacuee due to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake. He was born in 1949 in the town of Okuma, where a nuclear power plant was later built. He entered a university in Tokyo during the period of rapid economic growth, when Japan was emerging from postwar poverty and becoming prosperous, and enjoyed his student life.
The story, however, brings to light the major changes that are occurring in Japan with regard to nuclear power while the country is enjoying affluence.
The story depicts U.S. President Eisenhower’s speech to the United Nations in 1953, in which he called for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, the subsequent exposition on the peaceful use of nuclear energy held in Hiroshima and other cities, the radiation exposure of the Daigo Fukuryu Maru in 1954 due to a U.S. hydrogen bomb test, and the investigation of the location of a nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture in 1960.
In the scene of the A-bomb hospital in Hiroshima, a young girl asks her mother, lying in bed, to “get well and take me to the Nuclear Peace Expo. When the man, now a university student, returns home, the huge buildings of the nuclear power plant are already towering over him, and he is speechless. Then, the images travel back in time to 2011.
At the end of the story, while living in an evacuation shelter, the man speaks. In the name of the peaceful use of nuclear energy, nuclear power plants spread in a global wave, taking in even the damage caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. I guess there was nothing we ordinary people could do about it.
The story of the nuclear power plant in Hiroshima: the inspiration for the animation
Mr. Fukumoto wrote the script and drew the animation based on interviews with people in Fukushima and published materials. The impetus for the production of the animation came from an unbelievable story he heard from a victim of the disaster: “I heard that there was talk of building a nuclear power plant in Hiroshima.
Mr. Fukumoto is from the city of Hiroshima…
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DPP uses Taiwan people’s health as bargaining chip
Taiwan’s Fukushima food ban lifting viewed from mainland China
February 25, 2022
The Taiwan authorities formally lifted the ban on food imports from Japan’s Fukushima and four other prefectures on Monday. The ban was imposed after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011.
The island authorities’ move is similar to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s decision in 2021 to lift the restrictions on the import of pork with ractopamine, a feed additive harmful to human health, from the United States. In fact, it is also to please the US that the DPP is opening up the island’s market to food products from Fukushima ignoring the high risk of nuclear contamination.
By ignoring the health concerns about the food products from Fukushima, the DPP is putting Taiwan residents’ health and lives in danger.
After a devastating earthquake-triggered tsunami caused a meltdown of three of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant’s six nuclear reactors on March 11, 2011, governments around the world imposed restrictions on food imports from five Japanese prefectures-Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma and Chiba. The Taiwan authorities imposed the ban in late March that year.
Yet since taking power in 2016, the DPP has been trying to lift the ban in exchange for Japan’s support for its “Taiwan independence” agenda. In fact, the DPP has lifted the ban despite a 2018 referendum in which people voted overwhelmingly to continue the ban.
Ironically, the DPP won many Taiwan residents’ support because of its anti-nuclear stance. “Use love to generate electricity” was a slogan the DPP used at the time to lure people to its side. But since coming to power six years ago, the DPP in its bid to split the island from the motherland has reneged on its anti-nuclear promise.
The lifting of the ban on Fukushima food products in a desperate attempt to boost ties with Japan to counter the Chinese mainland is an apt example of the DPP’s subterfuge.
For the same reason, the DPP accepted US conditions and resumed the import of US pork, ignoring the health hazards it poses to Taiwan residents.
The DPP believes compromising food safety to get security guarantee from the US and Japan is very cost-effective. That’s why it used every possible trick to brainwash Taiwan residents and convince them that food products from those five Japanese prefectures are not “food with radioactivity” but “food with blessing”.
Also, the DPP has been claiming that the lifting of the ban will boost Taiwan’s chances of joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. In fact, Chen Chi-chung, the official in charge of the island’s agriculture, said that with the withdrawal of the ban, the island’s imports from Japan will increase by a maximum of $70 million a year while Japan’s import of Taiwan’s pineapples－18,000 tons last year and 30,000 tons this year－alone will exceed that amount.
It seems the DPP considers eating nuclear-contaminated food in exchange for exporting pineapples a good deal. The DPP’s arbitrary and anti-people decision is the result of its obscurantist and narrow policies.
Many Taiwan residents still believe in the DPP’s propaganda to the extent of blindly following its diktats even though those diktats are against their well-being and interests. Those people who voted the DPP to power for the second time only to end up eating pork with ractopamine from the US and radiation-exposed food from Fukushima are swallowing their own bitter fruits.
The DPP’s rule is nothing but a reign of terror. A party which uses the health and lives of the people as a bargaining chip in exchange for the support of anti-China forces will become more brazen in its quest to fulfill its narrow benefits. So Taiwan residents who voted for the DPP have to suffer the consequences of their choice.
The author is deputy director of the Institute of Taiwan Studies, Beijing Union University.
https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202202/25/WS6218136da310cdd39bc88c70.html
Reconstruction Agency Distributes “Treated Water Fliers,” Causing Puzzled Voices from the Education Sector
February 25, 2022
The Reconstruction Agency has distributed flyers to schools across Japan asking for their understanding of the increasing release of treated water containing tritium and other radioactive materials from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
From December to January of last year, the Reconstruction Agency distributed flyers to junior high schools and high schools across the country explaining about the treated water containing tritium and other radioactive materials.
The fliers stated that “tritium is all around us” and “there is no concern about the effects on your health”, etc. The government distributed the fliers in the hope that people would have a correct understanding based on scientific evidence and not be misled by false information.
However, while there are deep-rooted voices against the release of tritium and other treated water into the ocean, such as those from the fishing industry, there are many confused voices from the educational field.
The principal of a junior high school in Hamadori said, “To be honest, I was puzzled by the handling of the flyers. Treated water is a delicate issue, and since Hamadori is the site itself, we have to be more sensitive to it,” he said, and decided not to distribute the flyers to students.
In addition, some school boards around the country have voiced their discomfort with the contents of the flyer, saying, “We would like to carefully judge whether it is appropriate to use this flyer in radiation education,” and “The government should check the contents more before distributing it.
Mr. Nishimei, the Minister of Reconstruction, said, “We did not anticipate that there would be confusion when we distributed the leaflets. I had no idea that something like this would happen in the field.
On the other hand, Shinobu Goto, an associate professor at Fukushima University’s Graduate School of Symbiotic Systems Science and Engineering, who is an expert on radiation education, said, “In the field of education, it is especially important to enable discussion from multiple perspectives. It is necessary to discuss together with those who oppose the release of radiation, including the reasons why they oppose it,” he said, pointing out the importance of providing opportunities to learn about diverse opinions in the field of education.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/fukushima/20220225/6050017355.html?fbclid=IwAR33ufbih6A7hS5nn5L-AWmIkrYitrgetG1D8usDX8UXvmyjon0W8DHitE4
The status of the interim storage facility for storing waste from decontamination is disclosed
February 22, 2022
On the 22nd, the progress of the interim storage facility for the waste from the decontamination of Fukushima Prefecture was shown to the press.
The delivery of waste from areas other than the difficult-to-return areas will be almost finished next month.
The Ministry of the Environment is storing decontamination waste from Fukushima Prefecture in an interim storage facility located in Okuma and Futaba towns, and the site was opened to the press on the 22nd.
One of the storage sites for soil from the decontamination process is 15 meters high and 900,000 cubic meters of soil is being piled up.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, 92% of the 1,400 cubic meters of decontamination waste generated in areas other than the difficult-to-return areas had been brought in as of November last year, and the Ministry expects to finish bringing in almost all of it by the end of next month.
In addition, waste generated in the areas where decontamination is being carried out in preparation for the lifting of evacuation orders will continue to be delivered.
It has been decided that the final disposal of the waste will be outside of Fukushima Prefecture by 2045, and the Ministry of the Environment hopes to reuse the soil from the decontamination for public projects.
Mr. Masanori Shoko, deputy director of the Fukushima Regional Environment Office, said, “It is important to gain nationwide understanding for the reuse of the soil, and we have been holding dialogue meetings, but we feel that the understanding of the younger generation is an issue. We would like to continue our efforts so that they will be interested in the final disposal outside of the prefecture.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/fukushima/20220222/6050017330.html?fbclid=IwAR1hiH53kc7RiR7wPIdX35SneWkjAqFeE0JVeH8rtNISyu4jRNoOtoIYnpo
Some local governments have stopped distributing flyers directly to schools saying that treated water from nuclear power plants is safe
February 22, 2022
A government flyer emphasizing the safety of treated water from Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has been distributed to educational facilities in Miyagi Prefecture, causing a stir. Some schools have stopped distributing the leaflets amid deep-rooted opposition to the planned release of treated water into the ocean next spring. There is criticism that the government is unilaterally not imposing safety.
There are two types of flyers: one for elementary school students, “The push for reconstruction starts with knowing” (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy), and another for junior and senior high school students, “Three things you should know about ALPS treated water” (Reconstruction Agency). These were sent directly to each school in December last year, enclosed in a supplementary reader on radiation prepared by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Approximately 2.3 million copies were distributed nationwide to elementary, junior high, and high schools.
In the flyer for elementary school students, the treated water is introduced as “safe for human consumption and drinking. For junior and senior high school students, the flyers said that tritium, a radioactive substance contained in the treated water, “does not pose a health risk” and “is already being discharged into the ocean around the world.
A representative of the Reconstruction Agency said, “We sent the letter as supplementary material to provide scientific explanations to prevent harmful rumors from spreading.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/4e90162f416b1dc1d88618a136371e2a296d24be?fbclid=IwAR2cZSiMyy0u5ZRy3dNF8eupT9T9bgpR4E2Z3b7DPISHfk2ouBcGebhrpnc
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.
Fukushima’s forestry industry still haunted by nuclear meltdown
Feb 21, 2022
Almost 11 years since the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant meltdown, the forestry industry in Fukushima Prefecture is still suffering serious difficulties, with mountains and forests once contaminated by radioactive fallout left untouched.
In addition to declining demand for lumber, lingering worries over the effect of the radiation from the plant hit by the March 2011 quake and tsunami have seen the local forestry industry face acute labor shortages.
Yoshihisa Kanagawa, 65, of the forestry cooperative in the county of Higashishirakawa, still remembers a comment made by a local resident a few years ago.
“Don’t drop anything with radiation,” the resident told him, pointing to bark that had fallen to the ground from a truck loaded with logs Kanagawa was transporting from nearby mountains.
Kanagawa said he felt the deep-rooted mistrust among residents about the effect of the nuclear disaster. “(I was shocked to know) some people were still thinking that way,” he recalled.
Airborne radiation levels in the prefecture’s forests rose immediately after the nuclear disaster at the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. plant but have declined over time. The average radiation level at 362 sites in the prefecture was 0.18 microsieverts per hour in the year beginning April 2020, down by 80% from the level in the year through March 2012, according to a prefectural survey.
Under the prefecture’s standards, trees can be felled and transported from a forest if the radiation level in the air at the felling site is at 0.50 microsieverts or less per hour.
The bark that fell from Kanagawa’s truck was from logs in forests with radiation levels within prefectural limits.
There was a time when reducing the exposure of forestry workers to radiation was cited as an issue in the local forestry industry.
“Although few people talk about it, some people are (still) concerned about (any potential health effect of) the radiation,” he said. “It would be a shame if this has had something to do with the drop in forestry workers.”
Manahata Ringyo, a forestry firm based in the town of Hanawa, mainly deals with state-owned forests in the area. The town was the biggest lumber producer in the prefecture in 2018.
While more than 90% of the company’s sales are to businesses in the prefecture, the company attaches the results of radiation tests on waste from the logs when dealing with customers outside of the prefecture, as such tests are requested by some of them.
The practice continues even now, after almost 11 years.
The reasons behind the labor shortage in the forestry industry are said to be the hard nature of the work and a decline in demand for lumber.
Masato Kikuchi, 61, president of Manahata Ringyo, believes that the nuclear accident may have exacerbated the situation. “I want (the central government) to do more to secure human resources for the forestry industry in Fukushima Prefecture,” he said.
The number of people newly employed in the forestry industry in the prefecture has decreased by two-thirds in the 10 years since the Fukushima No. 1 disaster. The number of new workers was 242 in 2010, but it began to decline in 2011 and dropped to 78 in 2020, or only 32.2% of the number a decade earlier.
Alarmed by the situation, the prefecture will open a new training facility inside the prefecture’s Forestry Research Center in Koriyama in April to train people in field work and forest management.
The training facility, Forestry Academy Fukushima, will offer a long-term training course of one year for high school graduates who wish to work in the forestry industry and short-term training for municipal employees and forestry workers.
In the one-year program, trainees will cover forestry-related knowledge and skills, as well as acquire practical skills at a training field in a mountain forest. The facility will be equipped with a simulation room for forestry machines, in addition to classrooms and a building for practical training.
Fifteen applicants who have been accepted into the program will begin their one-year training in April.
At the end of the training period, the prefecture will encourage the trainees to find employment at forestry cooperatives and other forestry-related businesses in Fukushima.
“We will try to develop human resources who will be engaged in the forestry industry over the long term,” an official from the forestry promotion division of the prefecture said.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/02/21/national/fukushima-forestry-meltdown-difficulties/
Where to in 2045? Contaminated Soil from the Nuclear Power Plant Accident: Current Status of Interim Storage Facilities in Fukushima
February 21, 2022
Contaminated soil and other materials generated by decontamination following the accident at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant are being temporarily stored at an interim storage facility adjacent to the plant. The decontamination of areas outside the difficult-to-return areas has largely been completed, and the decontamination of areas inside the difficult-to-return areas in the designated reconstruction and revitalization base areas (reconstruction bases), where evacuation orders are expected to be lifted after this spring, is also proceeding. However, no concrete measures have been taken for decontamination of the difficult-to-return areas outside the reconstruction centers, and no progress has been made in discussing the transport of contaminated soil out of Fukushima Prefecture. Eleven years after the accident, there is still no way to solve the problem of radioactive waste. (Kenta Onozawa, Shinichi Ogawa)
12.67 million bags from 52 municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture
Radioactive materials released from the nuclear power plant in the accident contaminated land and buildings in Fukushima Prefecture and other large areas. Each municipality has made progress in decontamination, and the soil and other waste from the decontamination process has been collected in flexible container bags (sandbags, one bag is one cubic meter), and delivery to the interim storage facility built around Fukushima Daiichi began in FY2015. As of February 10, 2022, the total amount of waste will amount to about 12.67 million cubic meters from 52 of the 59 municipalities in Fukushima. (*The graph below can also be viewed by region: Hamadori, Nakadori, and Aizu)
How much contaminated soil has been transported to the interim storage facility?
February 10, 2022
All areas:
Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,810,286 (as of 1 May 2021) and has a geographic area of 13,783 square kilometres (5,322 sq mi). Fukushima is the capital and Iwaki is the largest city of Fukushima Prefecture, with other major cities including Kōriyama, Aizuwakamatsu, and Sukagawa. Fukushima Prefecture is located on Japan’s eastern Pacific coast at the southernmost part of the Tōhoku region, and is home to Lake Inawashiro, the fourth-largest lake in Japan. Fukushima Prefecture is the third-largest prefecture of Japan (after Hokkaido and Iwate Prefecture) and divided by mountain ranges into the three regions of Aizu, Nakadōri, and Hamadōri.
Hamadori:
Hamadōri (浜通り) is the easternmost of the three regions of Fukushima Prefecture. Hamadōri is bordered by the Abukuma Highlands to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. The principal city of the area is Iwaki.
Area: 2,969.11 km2 (1,146.38 sq mi)
Population: (2017) 452,588
Nakadori:
Nakadōri (中通り, Nakadōri) is a region comprising the middle third of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. It is sandwiched between the regions of Aizu to the west and Hamadōri to the east. The principal cities of the area are Kōriyama and the prefecture’s capital, Fukushima.
Area : 5,392.95 km2 (2,082.23 sq mi)
Population: ( 2017) 1,159,245
Aizu:
Aizu (会津) is the westernmost of the three regions of Fukushima Prefecture. The principal city of the area is Aizuwakamatsu.
Area: 5,420.69 km2 (2,092.94 sq mi)
Population: (2017) 270,648
Source: Interim Storage Facility Information Website
The total amount of contaminated garbage is not foreseeable.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, the amount of contaminated soil generated from the decontamination of areas other than the difficult-to-return areas is estimated to be 14 million cubic meters, a huge amount equivalent to 11 fillings of Tokyo Dome. The soil is scheduled to be delivered to the interim storage facility by March 2010. In the remaining difficult-to-return areas in seven cities, towns, and villages in Fukushima Prefecture, six cities, towns, and villages (excluding Minamisoma City) have been designated as “Designated Reconstruction and Revitalization Centers (Reconstruction Centers)” where decontamination will be carried out ahead of time. It is estimated that 1.6 to 2 million cubic meters of contaminated soil will be released from the decontamination of the reconstruction centers.
In addition to this, in August 2009, the government decided to lift the evacuation order for those who wish to return to their homes in the difficult-to-return areas outside the reconstruction centers. The Ministry of the Environment said, “We will proceed with the acquisition of land and the construction of storage facilities while monitoring the status of delivery. We do not know the maximum amount that can be brought in.
Uncertainty about transporting the materials out of Fukushima Prefecture
As the name implies, the storage at the interim storage facility is supposed to be “temporary” before the final disposal. The government has promised that the contaminated soil will be transported to a final disposal site outside Fukushima Prefecture in 2045, 30 years after the storage began in 2015. However, it is not clear if there are any municipalities that will accept the waste contaminated by the nuclear accident, and the candidate site has not yet been decided.
At present, three quarters of the total amount of contaminated soil stored at the site contains less than 8,000 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram. The government plans to reuse the contaminated soil with a concentration of 8,000 becquerels or less for road construction and other public works. The government plans to reuse soil contaminated with less than 8,000 becquerels for road construction and other public works. However, opposition to the use of contaminated soil from local residents is strong, and efforts to put the technology to practical use are running into difficulties. The Ministry of the Environment says, “We will continue to develop technology and work to gain the understanding of the people concerned.
The interim storage facilities are located around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and cover an area of 1,600 hectares. Of the privately owned land, which accounts for about 80%, 93% has been acquired by the government. The delivery of contaminated soil generated outside the difficult-to-return area is expected to be completed in March 2022.
Shadow of Hiroshima” at Fukushima nuclear power plant: Animation depicts history of nuclear power
February 20, 2022
In the history of nuclear power plants, the “shadow of Hiroshima” is hidden. A Hiroshima-based citizens group that supports victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 (Daiichi) nuclear power plant of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has produced an animated film titledThe Story of the Beginning of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. The work traces the history of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by the U.S. military and the nuclear accident, and depicts the social movements and people’s thoughts regarding nuclear power.
Hidenobu Fukumoto, a member of the Machi Monogatari Production Committee, has been visiting the disaster-stricken areas in Tohoku and has been creating picture story shows based on local folklore and disaster experiences. Last year, he started an initiative to convert the picture story shows into animated films and donate them to public facilities.
It depicts the life of a man born and raised in Okuma Town, Fukushima Prefecture, and shows the connection between the atomic bombing and nuclear power plants one after another.
IAEA ‘will not approve or oppose’ release of treated water from Fukushima plant, ‘responsibility of each country’
February 19, 2022
The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) survey team, which is examining the safety of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant’s treated water release plan, said that they will not oppose or approve the release.
IAEA Deputy Director General Liddy Evrard, who is visiting Japan to lead the survey team, said, “The IAEA does not approve or oppose the decision. The IAEA does not approve or oppose the decision, as it was made under the responsibility of each country.
The IAEA does not approve or oppose decisions because they are made under the responsibility of individual countries,” he said, adding that “the decision to oppose or approve a project related to nuclear safety must be made by the national regulatory body.
When asked if there were any other options other than oceanic release, Mr. Evrard said that consideration of other options had been completed in the past, and that this activity was being undertaken in response to a request for technical assistance from Japan, which had decided on the oceanic release plan.
Under-Secretary General Evrard explained the IAEA’s role as “helping countries improve their nuclear safety regulations through internationally accepted safety standards and providing mutual assessments of the adequacy of equipment to maintain safety.
“The role of the IAEA is not to be involved in regulation on the ground,” he answered, “but to visit the site as necessary at specific stages.” When asked if the IAEA would station nuclear experts with good command of Japanese to fully grasp the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, he said, “The role of the IAEA is not to be involved in regulation on the ground.
Under-Secretary-General Evrard stressed that “we listen carefully to their concerns, as a matter of priority,” regarding the opposition to the release of treated water into the ocean in South Korea and Japan.
However, when asked, “In the course of this investigation, have you met or do you have plans to meet with people who are opposed to oceanic release, such as those involved in fishermen’s groups and environmental groups?” Mr. Gustavo Caruso, coordinator of the IAEA’s Nuclear Safety and Security Directorate, replied, “We will meet with the people decided by the Japanese government.
Gustavo Caruso, coordinator of the IAEA’s Nuclear Safety and Security Directorate, replied, “We will meet with a person to be decided by the Japanese government,” adding, “We will evaluate the report based on IAEA safety standards and make it public later so that anyone can see it. The report on the investigation activities is expected to be released around the end of April.
During the visit, the IAEA team will take samples of treated water and other materials stored in tanks at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and analyze them at three laboratories in Monaco, Austria and other countries.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/2788b6b92e30ddf25df98c1f880848edfe385ad9?fbclid=IwAR1cBVbP8xhe47ZZOH98xm5u88E0BiIBh51DwCPgExFNWCBAVRnfzg51lsg
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