September 6 2011 Update
Safety check begins on 13 idled reactors
Kansai Electric Power Co. and Shikoku Electric Power Co. have begun the safety evaluation process on thirteen of their nearly 30 idle nuclear reactors scattered throughout Japan, hoping to resume standard operations by the year’s end. In order to complete the process, all dormant reactor plants must submit evaluation reports to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency by the end of September. Reactors across the country were mandated to remain ‘idle’ after Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s nuclear power plant in Fukushima suffered a catastrophic meltdown due to an off-coast earthquake and resultant tsunami. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has expressed support for the prospect of resuming nuclear operations despite feelings of uncertainty from both the public and local governments.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110907x1.html
Areas near Japan nuclear plant may be off limits for decades
After a meeting with local officials on Saturday, the Japanese government estimated that it could be well over 20 years before residents could safely return to their homes, businesses, and farmland in areas surrounding the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. Although radioactive iodine released into the atmosphere from Fukushima has a half-life of only 8 days, Cesium-137, the other radioactive isotope emitted from the plant, has a half-life of nearly 30 years. The government’s announcement follows the release of environmental radiation sampling data, which shows some areas around the plant to have radiation readings of 200 millisievers per year – 10 times more than the government’s acceptable limit for ‘safe’ radiation exposure.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/27/us-japan-nuclear-uninhabitable-idUSTRE77Q17U20110827
60% Of Tohoku Food Firms Feeling Impact Of Nuclear Disaster: Poll
Japan Finance Corporation reported Tuesday that “sixty percent of food-related companies in the Tohoku region have been affected from the Fukushima nuclear accident.” A survey conducted in July of 6,659 food-related companies revealed that 69.2% of companies had a sharp decline of revenue, while 14.6% stated that sales increased due to “visitors to the region purchasing local specialties to help with rebuilding efforts.”
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20110906D0609N04.htm
After Nuclear Mishap, Japan Debates Energy Future
Japan’s energy future is at a tipping point: the small island nation lacking in natural resources must choose to either continue its reliance on dangerous, but reliable atomic power or invest in risky, long-term renewable energy projects. At present, 70 percent of Japanese want to phase out nuclear energy, especially due to the recent discovery of contaminated beef and milk in local supermarkets.
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/06/140219721/after-nuclear-mishap-japan-debates-energy-future
Japan Tobacco: Nicotine, Yes; Radioactivity, No
The third-largest tobacco company in Japan reported today that tests conducted since mid-August have revealed no radiation contamination in cigarettes. Japan Tobacco Inc. ran tests on samples from all 35 municipalities where tobacco leaves for this year’s harvest were grown and “none of the results exceeded its own standard of 500 Bq/kilogram for radioactive cesium-133 and cesium-137 and 2,000 Bq/kg of radioactive iodine.”
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/09/07/japan-tobacco-nicotine-yes-radioactivity-no/
Nobel winner urges Japan to abandon nuclear power
Kenzaburo Oe, a Nobel laureate who won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1994, spoke at a news conference yesterday to urge Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to “abolish all nuclear plants.” Oe also campaigned for an anti-nuclear petition drive, which aims to collect over 10 million signatures for submission to the government in protest of nuclear power.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/06/kenzaburo-oe-nobel-winner-japan-nuclear_n_950085.html