To: President Donald Trump
President Obama: Urgently Protect People from Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
1. Disseminate precise and up-to-date information on the radiation pollution from Fukushima and provide possible preventative solutions.
2. The relevant information and solutions discussed in point # 1 should NOT be solely provided by TEPCO [Tokyo Electric Power Company], and the Japanese Government, but instead should be provided by an international collaborative team of Japan and the U.S. research teams.
2. The relevant information and solutions discussed in point # 1 should NOT be solely provided by TEPCO [Tokyo Electric Power Company], and the Japanese Government, but instead should be provided by an international collaborative team of Japan and the U.S. research teams.
Why is this important?
1) Fukushima is NOT "under control."
The initial contaminated water that contains cesium-137 is expected to reach the U.S. West Coast in 3-5 years, i.e. in 2014-2016. Cesium-137 has a half-life of 30 years and can accumulate in living tissues. On July 22, 2013, TEPCO finally admitted there has been an estimated 300 tons of water highly contaminated with strontium-90 leaking into the Pacific Ocean on a daily basis. Strontium-90 is a bone-seeking isotope. They are both already traveling up the food chain.
Currently the Japanese Government is NOT monitoring strontium-90 and has NOT set its safety standard for Japanese fisheries. The U.S. should immediately start closely monitoring all seafood imported from Japan.
2) Currently there is no effective solution for:
2-1) Contaminated Water Leaks: The Government’s underground frozen wall plan is effective only as an immediate, temporary solution. The ALPS, the multiple nuclides removing system, cannot remove this high level of contamination. The density of the leaked contaminated water is reported to be 80 million Becquerel per liter, while the Government safety standard is 30 Becquerel per liter. And ALPS cannot remove Tritium at all.
2-2) Unit #4's Zirconium Explosion: The nuclear power plant #4 can collapse anytime and the zirconium fire disaster will follow. The disaster will release the radioactive equivalent of 14,000 Hiroshima-sized bombs and 10 times more cesium than Chernobyl.
3) Two Years of Information Cover-Ups by TEPCO and the Japanese Government
3-1) TEPCO already knew the steel walls around the units would be necessary within a year to prevent the leaks and estimated its cost to be 100 billion yen in June 2011. There is a TEPCO’s document addressed to then Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Kaieda requesting him to conceal the estimate, avoiding its large cost and the criticisms from the media and their upcoming shareholders' meeting.
3-2) The Fukushima redevelopment fund which contains up to 19 trillion yen, has been mostly used for numerous unrelated projects throughout Japan. METI, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has admitted 230 million yen was used to defend the whaling industry against the Sea Shepherd.
References:
Dr. Helen Caldicott; http://rt.com/op-edge/fukushima-catastrophe-nuclear-olympics-883/
Associate Professor Koide of Kyoto University; http://gendai.net/articles/view/syakai/144541 (in Japanese)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/18/us-japan-fukushima-water-idUSBRE98H14A20130918
The initial contaminated water that contains cesium-137 is expected to reach the U.S. West Coast in 3-5 years, i.e. in 2014-2016. Cesium-137 has a half-life of 30 years and can accumulate in living tissues. On July 22, 2013, TEPCO finally admitted there has been an estimated 300 tons of water highly contaminated with strontium-90 leaking into the Pacific Ocean on a daily basis. Strontium-90 is a bone-seeking isotope. They are both already traveling up the food chain.
Currently the Japanese Government is NOT monitoring strontium-90 and has NOT set its safety standard for Japanese fisheries. The U.S. should immediately start closely monitoring all seafood imported from Japan.
2) Currently there is no effective solution for:
2-1) Contaminated Water Leaks: The Government’s underground frozen wall plan is effective only as an immediate, temporary solution. The ALPS, the multiple nuclides removing system, cannot remove this high level of contamination. The density of the leaked contaminated water is reported to be 80 million Becquerel per liter, while the Government safety standard is 30 Becquerel per liter. And ALPS cannot remove Tritium at all.
2-2) Unit #4's Zirconium Explosion: The nuclear power plant #4 can collapse anytime and the zirconium fire disaster will follow. The disaster will release the radioactive equivalent of 14,000 Hiroshima-sized bombs and 10 times more cesium than Chernobyl.
3) Two Years of Information Cover-Ups by TEPCO and the Japanese Government
3-1) TEPCO already knew the steel walls around the units would be necessary within a year to prevent the leaks and estimated its cost to be 100 billion yen in June 2011. There is a TEPCO’s document addressed to then Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Kaieda requesting him to conceal the estimate, avoiding its large cost and the criticisms from the media and their upcoming shareholders' meeting.
3-2) The Fukushima redevelopment fund which contains up to 19 trillion yen, has been mostly used for numerous unrelated projects throughout Japan. METI, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has admitted 230 million yen was used to defend the whaling industry against the Sea Shepherd.
References:
Dr. Helen Caldicott; http://rt.com/op-edge/fukushima-catastrophe-nuclear-olympics-883/
Associate Professor Koide of Kyoto University; http://gendai.net/articles/view/syakai/144541 (in Japanese)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/18/us-japan-fukushima-water-idUSBRE98H14A20130918