Post-disaster nuclear safety efforts continue
in Japan. Following the massive March 11 earthquake
and tsunami that triggered the worst nuclear
disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl accident,
signs of recovery are beginning to appear.
On Tuesday, May 31, data from the Industry
Ministry showed that Japan’s factory output
rose 1% in April. The next day, auto giant
Toyota Motor Corporation forecast its domestic
production to return to about 90% of its pre-disaster
level as recovery of part supplies were occurring
faster than anticipated. On Thursday, Prime
Minister Naoto Kan survived a no-confidence
vote in Parliament as he apologized for any
mishandling of affairs following the March
disasters and said that he would step down
as soon as reconstruction efforts were further
underway.
Meanwhile, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)
continues with efforts to bring its disaster-hit
Fukushima Daiichi power plant under control.
In a preliminary report published on Wednesday,
an 18-member team from the UN International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Japan
had underestimated the tsunami risk at several
nuclear sites. The report urged Japan to create
an independent nuclear regulatory board so
that it is not attached to the ministry that
promotes nuclear power. The inspectors also
called for regulators worldwide to learn from
the Fukushima Daiichi accident and to reassess
the risks of natural disasters. Japan has
meanwhile dropped plans to build new nuclear
reactors, and it is still uncertain when or
if the existing plants will meet sufficient
safety standards to be restarted. If their
ability to withstand conditions similar to
those that triggered the Fukushima Daiichi
meltdown cannot be confirmed, more will be
halted for maintenance or perhaps even shut
down, with longer-term power rationing likely.
On Tuesday, TEPCO workers discovered an oil
slick approximately 300 meters long seeping
into the sea from reactors No. 5 and 6, which
may have started at the time of the disaster.
A barrier fence was installed to contain the
leak as officials worked to assess the magnitude
of the spill and its potential radioactivity.
According to Japan’s Education Ministry,
the nuclear catastrophe has prompted some
10,000 children to evacuate Fukushima Prefecture,
while another 5,500 have changed schools within
the prefecture. A study by researchers from
Fukushima University and a local environmental
group found that snow in the mountains around
Fukushima city is contaminated with radioactive
materials above the safety limit for drinking
water.
With the Fukushima Daiichi disaster sparking
more nuclear safety concerns around the world,
Italy’s top court ruled on Wednesday that
the Italian citizens may vote in a referendum
scheduled for June 12 and 13 to decide whether
or not the country should accept nuclear power.
The referendum is expected to influence nuclear
energy policies of other European nations.
Our appreciation, Japanese and international
officials and personnel, for your efforts
to halt the nuclear disaster and ensure the
welfare of the public. May all inhabitants
on Earth be protected from such dangerous
situations through our adoption of more harmonious,
eco-caring ways�
