Radiation spread reaches Chiba, Saitama prefectures - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

Radiation spread reaches Chiba, Saitama prefectures - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

Fairly high levels of accumulated radioactive cesium in Chiba and Saitama prefectures were shown in a new contamination map released by the science ministry on Sept. 29.

The two prefectures, neighboring the municipal areas of Tokyo, are located about 200 kilometers from the disabled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The measurements for Chiba and Saitama prefectures were taken from Sept. 8 to Sept. 12 using helicopters.

In Chiba Prefecture, the highest levels of cesium-137, between 30,000 and 60,000 becquerels per square meter, were detected in northern areas, such as Kashiwa, Matsudo, Abiko and Nagareyama. Cesium-137 has a half-life of 30 years.

U.S. secretly asked Japan to help dump nuclear reactors - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

U.S. secretly asked Japan to help dump nuclear reactors - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

The United States secretly sought Japan's support in 1972 to enable it to dump decommissioned nuclear reactors into the world's oceans under the London Convention, an international treaty being drawn up at the time.

Countries working on the wording of the pact wanted to specifically prohibit the dumping of radioactive waste at sea.

But Washington wanted to incorporate an exceptional clause in the case of decommissioned nuclear reactors.

These facts came to light in diplomatic records held by the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo and released at the request of The Asahi Shimbun.

Japan did not offer a clear answer when it was approached by the United States on the issue. Eventually, however, Washington succeeded in incorporating the clause into the treaty.

Fishermen's livelihoods still drowning in Fukushima - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

Fishermen's livelihoods still drowning in Fukushima - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

FUKUSHIMA--Fisherman Katsushi Abe is still drawn to the sea each day where he has fished for more than 45 years, although these same troubled waters are now filled with fish that scare many customers.

So, the 61-year-old man just watches his boat moored in Matsukawaura Port in Soma in northern Fukushima Prefecture, where fishing in coastal waters is prohibited due to concerns of radioactive contamination.

Japan Nuclear Reactor | Fukushima Radiation, IMF Prepares for Collapse & New SuperBug!

Japan Nuclear Reactor | Fukushima Radiation, IMF Prepares for Collapse & New SuperBug!

B.C. Salmon Tests Negative for Japan-effect Radiation - Indian Country Today Media Network.com

B.C. Salmon Tests Negative for Japan-effect Radiation - Indian Country Today Media Network.com

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CIFA) has deemed fish tested in the wake of the Japan nuclear disaster as radiation free, but will not divulge where samples were taken from.

According to the CFIA, results from 12 fish samples showed minimal detectable levels of the radioactive particles Cesium -134 and Cesium -137. The results are below Health Canada’s “actionable levels,” said CFIA spokesperson Mark Clarke. The CFIA released the results of its tests on Friday, September 16.

West Coast salmon migration routes are near waters that are feared contaminated with radioactive fallout from the nuclear reactor that was damaged by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan last spring. The agency did not answer repeated questions about where the samples were taken from in B.C., saying only that they were came from various processing stations.

Thousands march against nuclear power in Tokyo - Yahoo! News

Thousands march against nuclear power in Tokyo - Yahoo! News

TOKYO – Several thousand people are marching in downtown Tokyo calling on the government to abandon nuclear energy in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident.

The demonstrators chanted "Sayonara nuclear power" while holding banners and placards as they marched Monday, a national holiday in Japan.

Police gave an initial estimate that just over 20,000 people participated, but protest organizers put the figure at 60,000.

Either way, it is one of the biggest demonstrations since the March 11 accident, in which the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant spewed radiation into the air in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

Experts: Possibility of evacuating parts of Tokyo can no longer be ignored — Fukushima ‘worse’ than Chernobyl (VIDEO) « ENENEWS.COM

Experts: Possibility of evacuating parts of Tokyo can no longer be ignored — Fukushima ‘worse’ than Chernobyl (VIDEO) « ENENEWS.COM

Reprocessed nuclear waste returns to Japan | The Japan Times Online

Reprocessed nuclear waste returns to Japan | The Japan Times Online

AOMORI — A ship carrying highly radioactive waste from Britain arrived Thursday morning in Japan, as local residents strongly protested the first such shipment since the Fukushima nuclear accident.

The 5,100-ton Pacific Grebe arrived at the port of Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, carrying 76 cylinders of reprocessed nuclear waste from three domestic power companies — Kansai Electric Power Co., Shikoku Electric Power Co. and Kyushu Electric Power Co. The waste was bonded into glass and solidified in Britain, then returned to Japan for disposal.

The cylinders are to be placed in a Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. storage facility in Rokkasho for the time being. The government has yet to decide on a final disposal site.

BBC News - Japan quake: Radiation rises at Fukushima nuclear plant

BBC News - Japan quake: Radiation rises at Fukushima nuclear plant

Radiation from Japan's quake-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has reached harmful levels, the government says.

The warning comes after the plant was rocked by a third blast, which appears to have damaged one of the reactors' containment systems for the first time.

If it is breached, there are fears of more serious radioactive leaks.

Officials have extended the danger zone, warning residents within 30km (18 miles) to evacuate or stay indoors.

South TN residents don’t want a Fukushima on their hands | Firstpost

South TN residents don’t want a Fukushima on their hands | Firstpost

A few months ago protests against a nuclear plant in Jaitapur, Maharashtra grabbed national headlines. Now a repeat story.

Over 3000 villagers are on the roads, protesting against a nuclear power plant in Kudankulam. Located in Tirunelveli South Tamilnadu, the plant is gearing up to commission its first 2 reactors. The 1,000 MW VVER type reactors have been announced in the final stages of an ambitious project that has been touted as the answer to the severe power shortage in Tamil Nadu. But villagers in and around the nuclear plant are on an indefinite strike demanding the complete shut down of the project. About one hundred of them have been fasting since Monday.

Old nuclear plants may not survive tests: OECD

Old nuclear plants may not survive tests: OECD

LONDON – Nuclear reactors older than 40 years may need to shut down following Europe-wide stress tests as additional safety costs will make them too expensive to run, the head of the OECD’s Nuclear Energy Agency told Reuters on Wednesday.

“I think there will be a few reactors where decisions are really challenged. In the end it will be a strictly economic decision,” said Ron Cameron in an interview.

Europe’s regulators ordered region-wide stress tests on nuclear plants following Japan’s Fukishima crisis, which include testing the impact of an airline crash, an element that was left out in tests carried out in the U.S.

“It is the addition of the aircraft factor that has made the tests much more challenging.”

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/nuclear+plants+survive+tests+OECD/5400380/story.html#ixzz1Xw6M6ayc

Areas Of Northern Japan May Be Off-Limits For Years : NPR

Areas Of Northern Japan May Be Off-Limits For Years : NPR

Miyo Tatebayashi used to live about three miles from the Fukushima nuclear plant, which suffered a crippling accident when the March 11 tsunami struck Japan.

On a recent day, she had just returned from a government-organized trip to the radiation zone in Fukushima prefecture along Japan's northeast coast. She had wanted to see her house.

"When I got out of the bus with my daughter, we were smiling. 'It's there,' " she recalls saying. "But when we actually saw our place, I thought, 'Oh, there is no way.' "

The tsunami had washed her home away, and the nuclear disaster had irradiated her land.

The radiation levels are so high, the government says, that parts of Tatebayashi's hometown, Futaba, may be off-limits for 20 years. Tatebayashi says she now realizes her life as she has known it is over.

"Now I've given up," she says, crying as a friend comforts her by patting her neck. "I've finally accepted it."

Salmon Returning to B.C. Fisheries from Pacific Being Tested for Radiation - Indian Country Today Media Network.com

Salmon Returning to B.C. Fisheries from Pacific Being Tested for Radiation - Indian Country Today Media Network.com

Two British Columbia First Nations are taking a wait-and-see approach as West Coast salmon are tested to determine if they have been contaminated with radiation resulting from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster six months ago, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reports.

The CFIA announced in June that testing will take place in August and continue through September, during the salmon run. Sockeye, coho, chum and pink are being tested, as well as albacore tuna. Six months ago, when the earthquake and tsunami damaged Japan’s nuclear reactors, the salmon were still out at sea. Now they are swimming back to spawn, making it an ideal time to test them.

The fish are taken from processing stations at various points across the B.C. fishery, CFIA spokesperson Mark Clarke said. Fish from the West Coast likely won’t be affected by the Fukushima disaster, but testing is prudent nonetheless. “We expect that these test results will be well below Health Canada’s actionable levels for radiation,” Clarke said.

Blast rocks France nuclear waste site, officials say - World news - Europe - France - msnbc.com

Blast rocks France nuclear waste site, officials say - World news - Europe - France - msnbc.com

Radiation gag backfires on trade minister | The Japan Times Online

Radiation gag backfires on trade minister | The Japan Times Online

Trade minister Yoshio Hachiro crossed swords with the media Thursday by attempting to rub his body against a journalist after touring the stricken Fukushima power plant, sources said Friday.

"I'll give you radiation," he reportedly said to the journalist.

The apparent prank by the minister in charge of the power industry is likely to cast Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's Cabinet in a bad light as takes on the nuclear crisis triggered on March 11.

After the news of his stunt broke, Hachiro said: "My memory isn't clear" and admitted approaching a reporter for a reason he didn't elaborate on.

Hachiro was already in hot water for a separate remark in the morning.

Just goes to show how serious politicians take radiation...absolute contempt and stupidity.... the man has NO Honour !!!

Study: Some Fukushima residents exposed to alarming radiation levels - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

Study: Some Fukushima residents exposed to alarming radiation levels - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

Residents from a 30-kilometer radius of the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant were exposed to up to 50 milisieverts of radiation for two months after the onset of the crisis, according to researchers at Hirosaki University.

When including exposure after they were evacuated, some are expected to have readings of 68 milisieverts a year, or more than three times the figure set by the central government when it ordered the evacuations.

The researchers estimated that radiation levels in the area during the two months before the evacuations came to 50 millisieverts.

Had residents of the Akougi area of Namie in the prefecture stayed, they would be exposed to radiation at a level of 190 millisieverts a year, according to the team's assessment.

No. 3 reactor cooling down: Tepco | The Japan Times Online

No. 3 reactor cooling down: Tepco | The Japan Times Online

Strangte flash in Fukushima Nuclear plant

Koeberg unit 2 shuts down: News24: South Africa: News

Koeberg unit 2 shuts down: News24: South Africa: News

Cape Town - Unit 2 of Eskom's Koeberg power station shut down on Monday, in what the power utility said was an automated safety procedure.

"The automatic shutdown was triggered by the protection system on a motor due either to mechanical or instrumentation failure, but the unit is in a safe and stable condition" Eskom said in a statement.

Fukushima City kids should not have to choose between radiation and education | Greenpeace International

Fukushima City kids should not have to choose between radiation and education | Greenpeace International

The children of Fukushima City are due to return to their schools this week despite the continued contamination of school buildings by radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Just over a week ago, our radiation experts found dose rates exceeding international safety standards at several schools, as well as many public areas in Fukushima City; this is why we are calling on Japan’s incoming Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda, to keep the area’s schools closed until they are properly decontaminated. No parent should have to choose between radiation exposure and education for their child – yet this is the decision facing thousands of parents.

Cesium over limit found in tea using Saitama, Chiba leaves | The Japan Times Online

Cesium over limit found in tea using Saitama, Chiba leaves | The Japan Times Online

Radioactive cesium exceeding the legal limit has been detected in four tea products that reached the market and were made with tea leaves from Saitama and Chiba prefectures, a recent health ministry inspection showed.

The human element | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

The human element | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

The discussions about the safety of nuclear reactors in the new post-Fukushima world have focused on technical questions: Is it possible to make reactors earthquake-proof? What is the best way to ensure that spent fuel remains safe? What is the optimal design for coolant systems? Can reactors be made "inherently safe"?

Kyushu Electric halts another reactor for checkup | The Japan Times Online

Kyushu Electric halts another reactor for checkup | The Japan Times Online

Kyodo

KAGOSHIMA — Kyushu Electric Power Co. halted the No. 2 reactor at its Sendai nuclear plant in Kagoshima Prefecture early Thursday for a three-month scheduled check, meaning only 12 of Japan's 54 commercial reactors are now in operation.

Extreme soil contamination detected near Fukushima plant - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

Extreme soil contamination detected near Fukushima plant - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

Extreme levels of radiation have been detected in soil within 40 kilometers of the quake-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the science ministry said.

The finding emerged in a map published Aug. 29 that for the first time shows contamination levels of areas within a 100-km radius of the plant.

One location in the town of Okuma had the highest value at about 30 million becquerels of cesium of all types per square meter.

About 8 percent of the measured areas recorded more than 555,000 becquerels, the figure that required forcible relocation by residents in the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear incident.

Simulation shows radiation may have reached 15 prefectures - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

Simulation shows radiation may have reached 15 prefectures - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

Radioactive iodine and cesium from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant likely spread across a wide area encompassing Tohoku, Kanto and parts of Chubu, according to a simulation by the National Institute for Environmental Studies.

The results of the study are expected to provide a basis for information used in decontamination efforts and other quake-related projects.

Fukushima leader blasts nuclear waste site plan - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

Fukushima leader blasts nuclear waste site plan - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

A key business leader has lashed out at a government plan to construct an interim storage facility for radioactive waste in Fukushima Prefecture, site of an ongoing nuclear crisis, rather than in Tokyo.

Toshio Seya, a former banker and head of the Fukushima Chamber of Commerce and Industry, asked during a regular news conference on Aug. 30: "Why doesn't the government build (the proposed facility to store radioactive waste) in Tokyo's Odaiba district? After all, the beneficiary of nuclear power is Tokyo."

Seya was clearly caught off-guard by the decision made by the Kan administration in its waning days.

Naoto Kan on Aug. 27, three days before he stepped down as prime minister, unveiled the government policy during a meeting with Fukushima Governor Yuhei Sato.

Tepco plans to flood reactors, extract fuel | The Japan Times Online

Tepco plans to flood reactors, extract fuel | The Japan Times Online

Kyodo

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Wednesday that it plans to remove the melted nuclear fuel from inside the crippled reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant after repairing the reactor containers and filling them with water.