Obviously a lot of us, including yours sincerely, do not look kindly upon TEPCO and their less-than-commendable conduct. When in doubt, I happen to prefer gritting my teeth to panicking. Here panic does not take shape of violence so easily, but there are symptoms such as pre-emptive discrimination and increasingly zany comments by media figures. What I want to share with you here are more sober and reasonable explanations. Nowadays, I believe few can complain about abundance thereof, right? ;-)
benefit from a good boot up the behind
Alas, if only I know how to make a sharp thrust at the buttocks and where to find them. Things are developing faster than a layman can understand as they happen. When I have done enough research to form my opinion, the case is over or put aside for a while. Or dirty things are scooped from far out in the past. Even if I look too pensive, I think the approach is better than an alternative; throwing tantrum at suspicious decisions no matter what.
Here is a case that contains a lot of panic, manufacturing consent, acquiescence to doubt and despair, from all sides. I hope you don't mind a long account as it has been unfolding for the last few weeks. On
April 19, Ministry of Education, Science and a Few Other Things (they like to be called MEXT) set forth "the provisional standard for the utilization of kindergartens, elementary schools and high schools in Fukushima Prefecture after the prefecture was struck with the nuclear crisis. The ministry has come up with a guideline for deciding whether the school grounds and buildings can be used: in order to stay within the 20 millisievert annual exposure safety limit, all outdoor activities need to be stopped when the radiation level at the schoolyard hits above 3.8 microsievert/hr." The outdoor activities standard is valid until summer vacation (1). In a Q&A session with the press, Yoshiaki Takagi, the MEXT Minister, failed to answer if measures are to be taken before vacations to improve the radiation level. This is one of the causes of confusion but the official announcement document does declare the necessity of improvement.
City of Kōriyama decided to take an independent action. At an elementary school with high radioactivity, they scraped the surface of the school ground and the radiation got below the standard. The problem is now how to do away with the pealed soil. The city first wanted to use dump fill but met with opposition from residents near the site. Later the Government intervened to declare that the soil is now radioactive waste. This means the disposal will be regulated by a special law. No one knows when the soil, which is now heaped in the corner of the ground, will be removed from the school. MEXT now suggest replacing surface soil by soil at a deep level in the same ground. They are yet to announce whether it is a mandatory measure or not.
The radiation level for the standard, 20 mSv/y (milisievert per year), is also contested. Unfortunately, strange comments are uttered by experts who are otherwise known to be very serious and rational. Prof.
Shuňňichi Yamashita of Nagasaki University, Fukushima Prefecture's advisor on radiation exposure, said in a lecture to locals that it is a national duty to obey the standard as it was defined by the country. In March, he was reported to have commented, "Radiation won't influence those who are smiling. It gets to those who are worried."
If you think the proponents of lower radiation level are more reasonable, meet Toshisō Kosako, a professor of Tokyo University. He was an advisor to the PM's Cabinet Office but on April 29 resigned his post as protest to the standard. In a tearful press conference announcing his resignation, he commented that admitting the 20 mSv/y standard would mean the end of his academic career. "I would not let my children undergo this condition," he said.
He did not reveal the grounds of his opposition in the conference. Later, he was going to hold another conference but it was cancelled after he was "advised" by people around PM on his confidentiality obligation. At least the organisers say so. On May 2, Madarame, the NSC chair, reportedly said, "Honestly, I do not understand what Mr. Kosako is indignant with." It was NSC that at the request of MEXT sanctioned the 20 mSv/y standard. The gathering in which the decision was made being an "informal" one, the minutes was not made.
Emotion, manipulation, power struggle and secrecy; all comments miss the point. So, let me say at least once in large, friendly letters:
DON'T PANIC
Whew.....
The figure 20 mSv/y is based on an international proposal called ICRP Publication 111 (
Special Free Download of ICRP Publication 111 - ICRP).
The proposal is meant to be applied to areas stricken by a nuclear accident. Here are the gists to the best of my understanding (2):
1. It sets forth measures for locals to continue living in the area.
2. The provisional level should be 1-20mSv/y and it has to be as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA).
3. Local communities and residents should be involved in decision making. The Government should provide help and information to assist their efforts at self-help.
4. The process of decision making should be recorded.
5. It employs a "thresholdless linear" model for danger of radiation. There is no threshold, therefore, beyond which radiation suddenly gets dangerous.
6. Efforts should be made to lower the radiation level. Locals and the Government are both involved. Same as 3.
7. It follows from 5 and 6 that the provisional standard does not exonerate parties from reducing radiation even the level is below the standard.
Whether or not children are safe with radiation at a certain level (whether it is 20mSv/y or 10mSv/y) is a pointless discussion. Those media figures running amok do not say this (I hope at least they know). Until a lot of us realise that ICRP Publication 111 is a guideline for forming a policy where everyone works to achieve a clearly defined goal, I will probably keep on saying "Patience" and "Don't panic."
1. The Japanese "artificial" years (fiscal, school and everything) are between 4-1 and 3-31.
2. Relied a lot on this Japanese Blog:
http://www.cp.cmc.osaka-u.ac.jp/~kikuchi/weblog/index.php?UID=1304907764
