International recovery efforts continue in
Japan. According to a poll by the daily newspaper
"Nikkei Industrial Journal," while 70% of
Japanese voters said that the government's
response to the nuclear accident was unacceptable,
some 60% stated that they would willingly
pay to fund the massive reconstruction efforts
needed following the quake and tsunami. More
than a month after the double disaster, Japan’s
National Police Agency has confirmed at least
13,800 fatalities, with over 14,000 listed
as missing. These figures, however, do not
take into account those who disappeared from
places like hard-hit Sendai City, as well
as the thousands of others still unaccounted
for.
Some 136,000 people remain in evacuation centers,
mostly in the worst-affected Miyagi, Iwate,
and Fukushima prefectures, as well as the
22,000 who were forced to leave their homes
after the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima
Daiichi complex. Tokyo Electric Power Company
(TEPCO) officials at the plant state that
they hope to begin transferring highly radioactive
water accumulating in a tunnel outside reactor
No. 2 this week. Despite previous water removal
from the tunnel, levels as of Sunday morning,
April 17 had risen to just 85 centimeters
below the ground, which raises the risk that
they would once again overflow into the ocean.
On Monday, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety
Agency said that radiation levels are still
too high for workers to go inside the buildings.
The announcement came after robots donated
by the US measured levels of radiation so
high in reactors No. 1 and 3 that a worker
exposed for more than five hours would exceed
the legal emergency limit for an entire year.
Meanwhile, a South Korean government official
and Russia’s state-run television have also
expressed concern over prolonged radiation
leaks, given the company's announced six-
to nine-month cold shutdown schedule.
Amidst Japan’s nuclear troubles, Japanese
Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Monday hinted
at suspending plans to build any new nuclear
plants until a full investigation ensures
that all existing facilities are safe, as
he said, “We will not proceed with the plans
that have been put forward up to now.” Concerns
raised by the recent accident have also been
reflected overseas. Germany's Chancellor Angela
Merkel affirmed that the country would now
seek alternative power sources as she stated
on Friday, “We all want to exit nuclear
energy as soon as possible and make the switch
to supplying via renewable energy.” Meanwhile
in Virginia, USA, two nuclear reactors at
Dominion Virginia Power’s Surry Power Station
were shut down after destructive tornadoes
caused the plant to lose power.
Although backup power systems operated as
needed and no radiation leaks were detected,
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission continued
monitoring the plant as staff worked to restore
electricity. With the current Fukushima Daiichi
accident classified to be as severe as Chernobyl,
these recent nuclear emergencies are a stark
reminder of the 1986 disaster, which had up
to tens of thousands of fatalities directly
linked to its massive quantities of radiation
released. As the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl
catastrophe approaches next week, representatives
of some 50 nations are meeting in the Ukrainian
capital Kiev on Tuesday in efforts to raise
funds of over US$1 billion for necessary safety
work, including a new concrete shelter over
the plant to prevent the leakage of dangerous
radiation that is still present at the site.
Our appreciation, Japanese and other governments
and personnel from across the globe, for your
endeavors to help in the aftermath of the
disasters in Japan. As we pray for the nation's
swift recuperation to safety and stability,
may we all do our utmost to foster a more
harmonious, balanced ecosphere�
