The State of Affairs and Ongoing Challenges of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

108 Pages·2015·6.8 MB·English

The State of Affairs and
Ongoing Challenges of
the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
—a Civil Society Response
Towards Recovery
Our Path to a Nuclear-Free Japan
—Policy Outline for a Nuclear Phaseout
Special Edition for WCDRR 2015
Citizens' Commission on Nuclear Energy
March 2015, Tokyo, Japan
Citizens’ Commission on Nuclear Energy (CCNE)

Table of Contents

PREFACE TO THE WCDRR 2015 EDITION .................................................................................................. II
AUTHORS, TRANSLATORS AND EDITORS.................................................................................................IV
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...........................................................................................................................VI
PROLOGUE: WHY SHOULD WE AIM FOR A NUCLEAR-FREE SOCIETY? ........................................................ 1
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 1
0-1 WEAKNESSES IN THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION ................................................ 2
0-2 PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ACCIDENT ......................................................... 3
0-3 ETHICAL DISQUALIFICATIONS OF NUCLEAR POWER ............................................................................................. 5
0-4 NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SHUTDOWN BY LEGAL MEANS ..................................................................................... 6
0-5 COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF NUCLEAR POWER .......................................................................................... 7
0-6 THE “3E” ARGUMENTS TOTALLY UNDERMINED ................................................................................................. 7
0-7 THE FOUR PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL REASONABILITY .............................................................................................. 8
0-8 THE PROBLEMS OF A TIGHT POWER SUPPLY-DEMAND BALANCE AND COST INCREASES ............................................ 9
0-9 POLICY REFORM THAT REFLECTS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE ................................................................................ 10
0-10 OUR VIEW ON THE NUCLEAR RESTART ISSUE ................................................................................................. 10
0-11 REALISATION OF A NUCLEAR-FREE SOCIETY IS NOT DIFFICULT ........................................................................... 11
CHAPTER 1 AN OVERVIEW OF THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
ACCIDENT AND THE “RESTORATION OF HUMANITY” ............................................................................. 12
1-0 OVERVIEW AND STRUCTURE OF CHAPTER 1 .................................................................................................... 12
1-1 A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF THE DAMAGE AND ITS PARTICULAR CHARACTERISTICS .............................................. 13
1-1-4 PROTECTION OF RESIDENTS FROM EARLY-STAGE RADIATION EXPOSURE FAILED, MANY LATER EXPOSED AND SUBJECTED
TO SERIOUS HEALTH RISKS .................................................................................................................................. 18
1-2 THE PRINCIPLES UNDERPINNING THE “RESTORATION OF HUMANITY” ................................................................. 29
1-3 PRINCIPLES FOR ASCERTAINING AND ASSESSING THE DAMAGE ........................................................................... 35
1-4 COUNTERMEASURE 1: THE RIGHT TO HEALTH ................................................................................................. 40
1-5 COUNTERMEASURE 2: SUPPORT FOR EVACUATION AND RESETTLEMENT .............................................................. 51
1-6 COUNTERMEASURE 3: DECONTAMINATION ..................................................................................................... 60
1-7 COUNTERMEASURE 4 FOOD SAFETY AND THE RESTORATION OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES ................................. 67
1-8 COUNTERMEASURE 5 COMPENSATION ........................................................................................................... 72
CHAPTER 2 THE ACTUAL STATE OF THE FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR POWER PLANT REACTORS AND
ISSUES SURROUNDING THE ACCIDENT SETTLEMENT ............................................................................. 76
2-0 OVERVIEW AND STRUCTURE OF CHAPTER 2 .................................................................................................... 76
2-1 THE STATE OF FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AND UNRESOLVED ISSUES ......................................... 79
2-2 NECESSITY FOR CLARIFICATION OF THE CAUSES OF THE ACCIDENT ...................................................................... 82
2-3 CURRENT STATE OF POST-ACCIDENT OPERATIONS AND ORGANISATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS REQUIRED TO BRING THE
ACCIDENT TO A CLOSURE ................................................................................................................................... 85
2-4 AIR COOLING—A DRASTIC SOLUTION TO THE WATER CONTAMINATION PROBLEM ................................................ 90
2-5 HOW SHOULD THE DESTROYED REACTORS BE FINALLY DISPOSED OF ................................................................... 92
2-6 WORKER HEALTH MANAGEMENT AND EXPOSURE REDUCTION IN THE PLANT SITE ................................................ 94
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Preface to the WCDRR 2015 edition
We are pleased to present our report, The State of Affairs and Ongoing Challenges of the Fukushima
Nuclear Disaster—a Civil Society Response Towards Recovery, on the occasion of the Third UN World
Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR 2015) in Sendai, Japan.
The report intends to answer questions such as:
- What have been the impacts of the Fukushima nuclear disaster?
- What is the current condition of the victims of the nuclear disaster?
- What is going on at the nuclear plant site and what risks still exist?
- What mistakes did authorities make in response to the nuclear disaster?
- What countermeasures are now necessary to cope with the situation?
The present report is a provisional and partial translation of the comprehensive Japanese report, Our Path
to a Nuclear-Free Japan: Policy Outline for a Nuclear Phaseout, published in April 2014 by the Citizens’
Commission on Nuclear Energy (CCNE), Tokyo. The full report comprises seven chapters, of which the
first three chapters have been translated into English to meet the special interests of the WCDRR delegates
as well as experts on disaster control and prevention tasks worldwide.
The translated chapters are as follows:
(also available for download from the CCNE website: www.ccnejapan.com/?p=2048)
Prologue: Why Should We Aim for a Nuclear-Free Society?
Chapter 1: An Overview of the Damage Caused by the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant
Accident and the “Restoration of Humanity”
Chapter 2: The Actual State of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Reactors and
Issues Surrounding the Accident Settlement
The remaining chapters deal with radioactive waste issues (Chapter 3), regulation standards, seismological
issues and contingency planning (Chapter 4), financial considerations and sustainability issues (Chapter 5),
and the democratic process towards the energy shift (Chapter 6). Please visit the website for a detailed table
of contents. The full English edition will appear by July 2015. As such, the references to these chapters
(Chapters 3 to 6) that appear within the current text have been left as they are. An executive summary in
English covering all the chapters is already available for download from the website.
The Japanese Government and the organisers of WCDRR 2015 are inclined to exclude topics related to the
nuclear disaster from the congress agenda. This has been criticised by delegates from international and
Japanese civil society organisations (CSOs). CCNE, too, finds such avoidance quite inappropriate,
unprofessional and unethical, given that the convention this time is being held in the region severely
affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, which resulted in an unprecedented complex disaster
of quake, flood and radioactive fallout. Even after four years now, more than 120 thousand people are still
in exile from the nuclear disaster exclusion zones. (This accounts for nearly 55% of the total number of the
people still in refuge from the March 2011 disaster.) That is the reality we face, no matter what your
political position is or what technological viewpoints you hold regarding the pros and cons of nuclear
power. Please also be reminded that the state of nuclear emergency declared by the Japanese Government in
March 2011 has not yet been lifted. The disaster is far from over and the victims need care and support.
Hopefully, our report will give you a clear idea about the actual state of affairs of the Fukushima nuclear
disaster. Your comments and advice, particularly those from your expertise and experience in disaster
response and prevention, are most welcome.
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In the text of the report, the names of new laws and institutions we propose in our policy outline are given
in “quotation marks” while existing laws and institutions are without quotes. Update information is added
in [square brackets] to help readers understand more recent developments in the issues.
CCNE is an independent think tank funded by the Takagi Fund for Citizen Science
(www.takagifund.org/e/about) with the support of individual donations from concerned civil society
members in Japan. The original Japanese report, Our Path to a Nuclear-Free Japan: Policy Outline for a
Nuclear Phaseout (2014) was prepared with contributions from some 70 professional researchers,
scientists, engineers, lawyers and CSO staff, as well as comments obtained through 20 public forums held
in various towns in Japan during 2013-2014.
For more information, please contact the secretariat, Citizens’ Commission on Nuclear Energy (CCNE),
Tokyo, at <[email protected]>.
11 March 2015
HOSOKAWA Komei, Secretary General, CCNE
====================================================================================

You are also encouraged to obtain a copy of 10 Lessons from Fukushima: Reducing risks and protecting
communities from nuclear disasters, a concise booklet prepared in 10 languages by the publication
committee in partnership with the Japan CSO Coalition for 2015 WCDRR (JCC 2015). Kindly contact
<[email protected]> or visit their website (fukushimalessons.jp/en-booklet.html) for more
information.
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Authors, Translators and Editors
AUTHORS
Prologue
FUNABASHI Harutoshi, MA
Deceased Professor, Hosei University, Tokyo; environmental sociologist; former Chair, Sub-committee
on the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake disaster analysis and social reconstruction, the Science Council
of Japan Sociology Committee
SHIMAZONO Susumu, MA, D.Lit
Professor, Faculty of Theology and Director, Institute of Grief Care, Sophia University, Tokyo
YOSHIOKA Hitoshi, MSc
Professor, Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka; Former
member of the Government’s Accident Investigation Commission
Areas of expertise: history of science and technology, specialised in postwar Japan's nuclear policy
Chapter 1
ARAKIDA Takeru, MA, PhD
Associate Professor, Faculty of Administration and Social Sciences, Fukushima University, Fukushima
Areas of expertise: public administration, public administration history, voluntary refugees’ support
FUKUDA Kenji, JD
Attorney at law, Save Fukushima Children Lawyers’ Network
HOSOKAWA Komei, MA, PhD
Professor, Department of Environmental and Social Research, Kyoto Seika University, Kyoto; Co-chair,
Pacific-Asia Resource Center, Tokyo; Board of Directors, The Takagi Fund for Citizen Science, Tokyo
Areas of expertise: environmental sociology, environmental justice
ISHII Hideki, D.Sc.
Project Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, Fukushima Future Center for Regional
Revitalization, Fukushima University
Areas of expertise: landscape architecture, regional economy, foods and agriculture planning
KOYAMA Ryota, PhD
Professor, Faculty of Economics Division and Business Administration, Fukushima University,
Fukushima; Deputy Director, Fukushima Future Center for Regional Revitalization
Areas of expertise: agricultural economy, cooperative management
MITSUTA Kanna
Board of Directosr, Friends of the Earth Japan, Tokyo
MUTO Ruiko
Fukushima resident, Leader of Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Plaintiffs; member of the Women’s Group of
Fukushima（「ふくしまの女たち」）
NAKASHITA Yuko, JD
Attorney at law; Secretary General, Japan Endocrine-disruptor Preventive Action; Board of Directors,
The Takagi Fund for Citizen Science, Tokyo
Areas of expertise: legal expert on environmental and health-hazard cases
OHNUMA Junichi, M.Sc
Former Chief Researcher, Aichi Environmental Research Center, Nagoya
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Areas of expertise: chemical analysis and radiological monitoring
OZAWA Shoji
Co-facilitator, Iitate-mura Society for Radioecology; journalist; naturalist
SAKIYAMA Hisako, M.D.
Former Senior Researcher, National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), Chiba; Former member,
National Diet of Japan Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (NAIIC)
Areas of expertise: medical expert on radiation exposure and health effects
SHIMAZONO Susumu, as above
YOKEMOTO Masafumi, D.Ec.
Professor, Graduate School of Business Global Business, Osaka City University, Osaka
Areas of expertise: environmental economy, specialised in pollution disputes and compensation issues
YOSHINO Hiroyuki
Fukushima Network for Saving Children from Radiation
Chapter 2
HOSOKAWA Komei, as above
KAWAI Yasuro
Leader, Plant Engineers’ Group Monitoring the Decommissioning Process of Nuclear Power Plants
Areas of expertise: program management and plant engineering
NARAMOTO Eisuke, MA
Professor Emeritus, Hosei University, Tokyo
Areas of expertise: journalism and history
OGURA Shiro, M.Eng
Former Toshiba Nuclear Engineer; Group for Peace with Costa Rican People who Abolish the
Armament
Areas of expertise: nuclear power plant design, manufacturing and maintenance
OHNUMA Junichi, as above
TSUTSUI Tetsuro
Plant Engineers’ Group Monitoring the Decommissioning Process of Nuclear Power Plants
Areas of expertise: project management and plant engineering
TRANSLATORS AND EDITORS
HOSOKAWA Komei (Supervisor)
HATAKEYAMA Sumiko (Coordinator)
Jay BOLTHOUSE, Antony BOYS, HATAKEYAMA Hikaru, Rianne HIDDING, Keukmi KIM, Lisa KIM,
Patricia ORMSBY, TAKAHASHI Masumi, Philip WHITE
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Executive Summary
PROLOGUE: WHY SHOULD WE AIM FOR A NUCLEAR-FREE SOCIETY?
In the case of a severe accident at a nuclear power plant, the scale of damage is unimaginably large and the
period for recovery is impossibly long. Moreover, severe accidents have not only happened but can
certainly happen again in the future. The continuation of these high-risk conditions is not ethically
acceptable. Nuclear power must be phased-out through legislation.
CHAPTER 1: AN OVERVIEW OF THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR
POWER PLANT ACCIDENT AND THE “RESTORATION OF HUMANITY”
1. Only by following the basic principles outlined below will we be able to recover from nuclear disaster
and achieve “Restoration of Humanity”:
1) Give maximum respect for fundamental human rights such as the “right to health” and the "right to
avoid exposure to radiation
2) Adopt the precautionary principle and do not underestimate risks
3) Ensure that relevant stakeholders participate in the decision-making process
2. A new “Basic Act for Recovery from the Nuclear Disaster” should be established based on the notion of
“supporting while respecting rights to personal choice” described in the Victims Protection Act. Related
laws should be organised under this umbrella policy and consistent long-term measures for
reconstruction and relief should also be incorporated.
3. Develop and expand medical support for preventive care from health hazards and a system for regular
check-ups, as well as mobile classes for children. In order to centrally manage all of the data related to
various health surveys and screenings, the national government should be responsible for establishing a
permanent health support centre. To implement the operation of this centre based on scientific and
ethical considerations, it should be managed by a third-party committee formed on the premise of
participation by both experts and citizens (including residents of the areas affected by the nuclear
disaster).
4. Support for the reconstruction of evacuees’ lives should not be oriented entirely toward “early return”
to the evacuated areas. Evacuation orders should not be hurriedly removed, and residents’ views must
be respected to the utmost. The return of evacuees should not be carried out until after the additional
radiation dose falls below 1 mSv per year. Even in this case, the central government must provide
compensation and support to enable evacuees to decide for themselves whether to return or remain in
refuge.
CHAPTER 2: THE ACTUAL STATE OF THE FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
REACTORS AND ISSUES SURROUNDING THE ACCIDENT SETTLEMENT
1. Upon carrying out the liquidation of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the government’s
Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation and TEPCO’s
Fukushima Daiichi Decontamination and Decommissioning Engineering Company should be combined
to establish an “Agency for the Decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
(Fukushima Decommissioning Agency–FDA)” to centralise the promotion of decommissioning in one
office.
2. Under the “FDA”, the accident settlement of Fukushima Daiichi, the site workers’ employment system,
labour policies, and radiation dose management should all be radically reformed.
3. A shift from water cooling of the molten fuel debris to air cooling is proposed as a means to radically
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alleviate the contaminated water problem. TEPCO’s plan to remove fuel debris by the flooding method
entails large risks and huge worker exposure to radiation and should therefore be suspended.
CHAPTER 3: TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES
1. Abolish nuclear fuel cycle development projects (i.e. reprocessing, fast breeder reactors, uranium
enrichment). Reprocessing and fast breeder reactors are projects that result in huge economic losses and
involve serious drawbacks related to nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security.
2. It is imperative to regard all nuclear materials produced in the nuclear energy production process as
nuclear waste and to promote their prudent management and disposal. It has become abundantly clear
that all of the following are forms of nuclear waste: high-level liquid waste, irradiated fuel, separated
plutonium, recovered uranium, depleted uranium, uranium waste soil, other low-level radioactive
material discharged from nuclear facilities, decommissioned nuclear facilities, the Fukushima Daiichi
facility itself and all of the radioactive materials emitted as a result of the accident. Since natural and
enriched uranium have some economic value, abolishing the trading of these materials will require
legislation and compensation. Unnecessary and non-urgent dismantling and removal of nuclear
facilities should not be carried out. Rather, it is imperative to keep these facilities under close
observation to allow sufficient time for radioactivity decay.
3. Establish a new government agency, tentatively called the “Japan Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
(JNDA)”, to centralise the management and disposal of nuclear waste. The amount of radioactive waste
generated by the abolition of nuclear power plants will be enormous, and the period required for the
management and disposal will extend to the ultra-long-term. Accordingly, centralised waste
management and disposal by the government is essential. However, this does not eliminate the financial
liability of private corporations. It should be noted that, the “Radioactive Contamination Project” of the
“Fukushima Decommissioning Agency–FDA” can, after significant progress has been made, be
transferred to the “JNDA”.
4. While nuclear waste management and disposal facilities will have to be located within Japan, the siting
of these facilities should, to as great an extent as possible, be based on the strictest safety standards and
procedures and only decided after public discussions based on the principle of “fair and equitable
burden” have been held.
CHAPTER 4: TECHNICAL GROUNDS FOR KEEPING REACTORS FROM RESTARTING
1. Under the new regulatory standards, nuclear restarts must not be conducted for the following reasons:
1) They would require turning a wilful blind eye to the “Location Regulatory Standards”, the absolute
conditions for protecting local residents from radiation exposure.
2) There is always some residual risk, i.e. there can be cases in which nuclear power plants that fulfill
regulatory standards cannot withstand earthquakes or tsunamis.
3) A basic design review has not been implemented and current measures will not prevent severe
accidents.
4) Contingency plans against severe nuclear accidents are ineffective.
2. For the above reasons, the local council approvals of (existing) nuclear power plant siting should be
made void. At the very least, all local authorities within a 30km radius of a nuclear power plant should
initiate talks to develop a nuclear safety agreement.
3. Current works of power companies to implement severe accident prevention measures in advance of
the new safety standard compliance screening should cease immediately. These measures represent
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capital investments that are not necessary or effective and the costs should not be passed on to
consumers.
CHAPTER 5: STEPS TO A NUCLEAR-FREE SOCIETY
1. The government’s and TEPCO’s responsibilities for handling the nuclear accident should be clarified
and the liquidation of TEPCO should be pushed forward. In addition, based on the government’s role in
nuclear power development and the accident, full compensation, “restoration of humanity”, and the
phasing out of nuclear power should be promoted.
2. In order to realise a nuclear-free society, it is imperative to establish a “Basic Act on Nuclear Phaseout”
as well as “Basic Act on Energy Shift” that will support the development of renewable energy resources.
Additionally, in order to move toward a nuclear-free society, it is both imperative to abolish the
institutions and government agencies that have supported the development of nuclear energy and to
establish a “Nuclear Energy Phaseout Agency” in their place.
3. The Japanese government must discontinue all policies aimed at promoting the export of nuclear power.
Severe accidents of nuclear stations can occur not only in Japan, which is prone to earthquakes and
tsunamis, but in other parts of the world as well. We cannot allow hazardous facilities to be exported.
The provision of insurance and finance for nuclear power projects by joint public-private ventures and
feasibility studies in Turkey and Vietnam should be discontinued.
CHAPTER 6: DEFECTS IN THE NUCLEAR POWER COMPLEX-LED DECISION-MAKING
SYSTEM AND THE PATH TO DEMOCRATIC POLICY DECISIONS
For Japanese society to take “steps for realising a nuclear-free society”, it is imperative that proactive
organisational approaches be taken with regard to the following issues: Electoral reform so that the will of
the public is adequately reflected in legislative councils, activation of citizens’ movements and deliberative
democracy, strengthening of the ability of the Diet to shape policy, locally led policy initiatives, the
formation of independent think tanks, and the development of critical media and the disclosure of
information.
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