RNW, 29 March 2011, by Johan van der Tol
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| (Photo: cartoonmovement) |
The Greenpeace staff were dressed in white anti-radiation coveralls, while the local Japanese were wearing their normal street clothes. Dutch Greenpeace staff member Jacob Namminga says it was an alienating experience. Mr Namminga just recently returned from a fact-finding mission near the disaster area. He recorded high radiation levels at about 40 kilometres from the Fukushima power plant.
There is mounting pressure on Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan to evacuate more people from the disaster area. Each day, new reports are being published about a partial melt-down, leaking radio-active water and plutonium-contaminated soil. Environmental organization Greenpeace has carried out its own measurements and recorded much higher radiation levels than those published by the Japanese government.
“The funny thing is that you cannot see radiation. It’s a beautiful environment; a spectacular mountain landscape. However, your meter shows that the area is badly contaminated” It was not the only surreal situation encountered by the five Greenpeace staff members during their mission in Japan.
“It’s really strange to be walking around in your white coveralls, and see someone step out of their car in their norm clothes. It makes you want to warn them about the danger, and we did. However, it’s of course difficult for these people to leave the village where they have been living for such a long time.“
Not safe
In Iitate, a village 40 kilometres northwest of the power plant, Greenpeace measured radiation levels of nearly 10 Microsievert per hour, sufficient to warrant an evacuation. However, the Japanese nuclear authorities say Greenpeace’ measurements are unreliable. On top of which, many residents of the region have already left, or so the authorities say.
According to Belgian Greenpeace radiation expert Jan van de Putte, “It’s clearly not safe for people to stay in Iitate, particularly for children and pregnant women. In just a few days, they may absorb the maximum dose of radiation for a whole year. The danger is even greater when the contamination takes place via contaminated food or inhaling radio-active particles.”
Not enough information
Mr Namminga is convinced of the accuracy of his measurements.
“I am certain our measurements are accurate. We all carried a personal radiation meter. We were a team of five people, and we all recorded the same readings. (…) It seems the Japanese government is drawing a different conclusion than we do, which is that it’s not necessary to evacuate people. We disagree.”
He blames the Japanese government for providing inadequate information about the problems with the nuclear power plant. Japanese newspapers regularly publish recorded radiation levels, but fail to mention the possible consequences. “The population is essentially being kept in the dark”, Mr Namminga says.
Safety measures
During their fact-finding mission, the Greenpeace staff members observed strict safety measures. In addition to the white coverall, face masks and extensive de-contamination procedures, they slept at a distance of 100 kilometres from Fukushima. According to Jacob Namminga, they were exposed to an amount of radiation not exceeding that of a normal x-ray. However, he fears that the population is being exposed to much higher levels of radiation.
“We were taking measurements near a primary school. Radiation levels there were close to 10 Microsieverts per hour, which is high. And that’s the kind of moment when I imagine children there going back to school again. That is a really strange notion. So I am really hoping that the Japanese government will change its mind and becomes a little clearer in its advice to its people.”
At present, all residents have been evacuated from a 20-kilometere radius around the power plants. People living between 20 and 30 kilometres from Fukushima are advised to stay indoors and keep their doors and windows closed.
Levels of radioactive iodine-131 in the Pacific off the Fukushima
nuclear plant have been recorded at a new high of 4,385 times
the legal limit. (www.greenpacks.org)
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