By Theodora Filis
Many people were alarmed when the Japanese government reported that the nuclear fallout at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Japan was comparable to that of the 1986 disaster in Chornobyl. Japanese authorities had been trying to keep the public calm, but were forced to publicly announce that the emergency had been raised from a level-five to a level-seven “severity rating”.
In an attempt to preserve some credibility for the nuclear power industry, Japanese authorities tried to use reassuring language in their statements and were hesitant to compare what was going on at Fukushima to Chornobyl.
Not only have the Japanese gone through the worst earthquake in their nation’s history, and a massive and deadly tsunami, but they are now in the midst of the worst nuclear crisis since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
Of course, Fukushima is not like Chornobyl.
"Chornobyl was a massive explosion- ten times the size of the Hiroshima bomb. Almost 50 Tons of nuclear fuel were evaporated into dust, blown by the wind northwest across Ukraine, Byelorussia, and the Baltic States." The Truth About Chernobyl, by Grigori Medvedev
That is not what is going on in Fukushima. But, as one Japanese official said at a press conference last week, “Fukushima could ultimately release as much or more radiation than Chernobyl.”
The situation in Japan is more like the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station located on Three Mile Island in the Susquehanna River, south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where a partial core meltdown occurred because of loss of coolant.
Radiation levels at Fukushima have risen, not just within the facilities but also at the perimeters, and there have been at least a dozen confirmed cases of radiation exposure. The detection of Cs-137 in the air suggests the fuel has partially melted in some of the reactors.
Japan operates 54 nuclear power reactors that provide about 30 percent of Japan’s electricity. Eleven reactors automatically shut down with the tremendous earthquake on March 11th. Of the 11 that shut down, one had a fire (Onagawa), four had hydrogen explosions (Fukushima Daiichi 1, 2, 3, 4), and fuel may have partially melted in the Daiichi units 2 and 3.
Japan is heavily invested in nuclear energy, so it is not surprising that they would want to downplay the damage. However, considering the danger this situation poses to the Japanese people and those in the region, the Japanese government had a duty, to be honest about the seriousness of this situation.
Cables released by Wikileaks show that in late 2008 the International Atomic Energy Agency warned the Japanese government about the threat that a major earthquake could pose to its nuclear plants. In response, the Japanese built an emergency response center at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, but the center was only prepared to withstand a 7.0 magnitude quake.
The recent earthquake has been upgraded to a magnitude of 9.0. The reactors at the Fukushima plant have been subjected to hundreds of aftershocks and are under far more stress than they were designed to handle.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said it will take up to nine months before the crippled Fukushima Power Station is stabilized.
Considering a 2005 report, from the National Academies of Science, that any level of radiation, however small, can cause cancer, Japan’s situation is now considered deadly and will be for decades.
The Japanese people have displayed incredible courage, order, and decorum in the face of unmitigated disaster. Journalists, volunteers, and aid workers from around the world have gone beyond the call of duty to extend help to the hardest-hit zones, but this crisis is now beyond anyone’s ability to control.
Suggested Reading:
Chornobyl: 25 Years After A Catastrophic Nuclear Meltdown... http://t.co/vr0ViKK
What Have We Learned From Chornobyl & Can It Help Japan?... http://t.co/hmYvdCM
In an attempt to preserve some credibility for the nuclear power industry, Japanese authorities tried to use reassuring language in their statements and were hesitant to compare what was going on at Fukushima to Chornobyl.
Not only have the Japanese gone through the worst earthquake in their nation’s history, and a massive and deadly tsunami, but they are now in the midst of the worst nuclear crisis since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
Of course, Fukushima is not like Chornobyl.
"Chornobyl was a massive explosion- ten times the size of the Hiroshima bomb. Almost 50 Tons of nuclear fuel were evaporated into dust, blown by the wind northwest across Ukraine, Byelorussia, and the Baltic States." The Truth About Chernobyl, by Grigori Medvedev
That is not what is going on in Fukushima. But, as one Japanese official said at a press conference last week, “Fukushima could ultimately release as much or more radiation than Chernobyl.”
The situation in Japan is more like the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station located on Three Mile Island in the Susquehanna River, south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where a partial core meltdown occurred because of loss of coolant.
Radiation levels at Fukushima have risen, not just within the facilities but also at the perimeters, and there have been at least a dozen confirmed cases of radiation exposure. The detection of Cs-137 in the air suggests the fuel has partially melted in some of the reactors.
Japan operates 54 nuclear power reactors that provide about 30 percent of Japan’s electricity. Eleven reactors automatically shut down with the tremendous earthquake on March 11th. Of the 11 that shut down, one had a fire (Onagawa), four had hydrogen explosions (Fukushima Daiichi 1, 2, 3, 4), and fuel may have partially melted in the Daiichi units 2 and 3.
Japan is heavily invested in nuclear energy, so it is not surprising that they would want to downplay the damage. However, considering the danger this situation poses to the Japanese people and those in the region, the Japanese government had a duty, to be honest about the seriousness of this situation.
Cables released by Wikileaks show that in late 2008 the International Atomic Energy Agency warned the Japanese government about the threat that a major earthquake could pose to its nuclear plants. In response, the Japanese built an emergency response center at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, but the center was only prepared to withstand a 7.0 magnitude quake.
The recent earthquake has been upgraded to a magnitude of 9.0. The reactors at the Fukushima plant have been subjected to hundreds of aftershocks and are under far more stress than they were designed to handle.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said it will take up to nine months before the crippled Fukushima Power Station is stabilized.
Considering a 2005 report, from the National Academies of Science, that any level of radiation, however small, can cause cancer, Japan’s situation is now considered deadly and will be for decades.
The Japanese people have displayed incredible courage, order, and decorum in the face of unmitigated disaster. Journalists, volunteers, and aid workers from around the world have gone beyond the call of duty to extend help to the hardest-hit zones, but this crisis is now beyond anyone’s ability to control.
Suggested Reading:
Chornobyl: 25 Years After A Catastrophic Nuclear Meltdown... http://t.co/vr0ViKK
What Have We Learned From Chornobyl & Can It Help Japan?... http://t.co/hmYvdCM
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