汚染廃の本焼却開始　大崎と宮城・涌谷、反対の住民抗議via河北新報

Posted on 2020/07/16 by nfield

宮城県大崎市と大崎地域広域行政事務組合は１５日、東京電力福島第１原発事故で発生した国の基準（１キログラム当たり８０００ベクレル）以下の汚染廃棄物について、圏域の３カ所で本焼却を始めた。各施設周辺では、焼却に反対して仙台地裁で住民訴訟を争う住民団体などが横断幕を掲げて抗議した。
　初日は大崎市古川、同市岩出山、宮城県涌谷町の焼却施設にそれぞれ１トン、０．５トン、１トンを運び入れ、家庭ごみと一緒に焼いた。各施設の焼却灰は１６日、同市三本木の最終処分場で埋め立てる。
　今後、汚染廃棄物の濃度別に１日当たりの最大処理量を調節し、それぞれ古川の施設は３．５トン、岩出山０．６トン、涌谷町２．１７トンを上限とする。土日曜・祝日を除く平日に焼却し、灰は翌日以降に埋め立てる。
　１１月から宮城県美里町と涌谷町が同様の焼却を始め、７年間かけて計３５９０トンを処理する予定。焼却処理する量としては同県内の圏域別で最多となる。

原文

Posted in *日本語 | Tagged , | 4 Comments

ふくしまの10年　無人の街を撮り続けて　①被写体を被災に変えて via 渡橋新聞

Posted on 2020/07/14 by nfield

長期連載「ふくしまの10年」の新シリーズ「無人の街を撮り続けて」を始めます。福島県三春町在住の写真家・飛田晋秀（ひだ・しんしゅう）さん（73）は、現在も被災地の知人らに同行する形で撮影を続けています。地元の住民の目線で切り取った映像と撮影を続ける思いを紹介します。

福島県三春町在住の写真家・飛田晋秀（ひだ・しんしゅう）さん（73）は、もともと鍛冶や和菓子など日本の職人を被写体として撮り続けてきた。時間をかけ人間関係を構築したうえで、シャッターを切る。ゆっくりとした、しかし、濃密な時間を経て白黒の作品を生みだしていた。
　そんな仕事の流儀を大きく変えたのが、2011年3月11日の東日本大震災と東京電力福島第一原発事故だ。
　「全国の職人の撮影を終えてこれから写真集を出すため編集作業に入るという時でした。被災地に向かうべきか否か。自分は報道写真家でもない。迷いました」
　震災の1カ月後、知人からいわき市小名浜地区への取材を提案される。「友人ら8人が津波に流され死亡した知人女性と小名浜港に向かいました。最初は津波被害のすさまじさにショックで、シャッターが切れませんでした」

その後、三春町で被災者支援を通じて知り合った富岡町の60歳代の女性から警戒区域内の自宅への同行を頼まれた。被害を写真で残すためだ。2012年1月末、本格的な被災地取材が始まった。（長久保宏美が担当します）

全文

Posted in *日本語 | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Plutonium mishap at Los Alamos National Lab accentuates pit production worries via Aiken Standard

Posted on 2020/07/14 by nfield

By Colin Demarest

Fifteen workers at Los Alamos National Laboratory might have been exposed to plutonium, a potentially grave mishap that some industry observers and critics say portends trouble for plutonium pit production, a separate cross-country nuclear weapons mission.

At least one lab worker received “significant contamination” on his hair, skin and protective clothing, according to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, following a June breach in a glovebox, a sealed piece of equipment used to handle dangerous or toxic substances.

“The room experienced significant” airborne radioactivity at the time and alarms triggered, inspectors with the independent board reported. A Los Alamos spokesperson on Wednesday said “laboratory employees responded promptly and appropriately, and cleared the room in a safe manner.”

[…]

The “serious” incident last month is a “tiny window into long standing problems here,” Greg Mello, with the watchdog Los Alamos Study Group, said in an interview with the Aiken Standard. It comes at a time, too, when the lab is maneuvering toward and preparing for jumpstarted plutonium pit production, the forging of nuclear weapon cores.

Federal law mandates the production of 80 plutonium pits per year by 2030 – a tight schedule, defense officials have acknowledged. While the Savannah River Site would produce 50 of those pits per year, according to a joint recommendation made by the National Nuclear Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Defense in 2018, Los Alamos would produce 30.

What recently transpired at Los Alamos “casts a long shadow” over the lab’s “pell-mell rush to acquire a huge plutonium production mission, namely pit production,” Mello said this week. Stephen Young, a Washington representative for the global security program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, described the circumstances as “tricky, dangerous,” expensive and time consuming.

“This is yet another example of why the current pit production plan is doomed to failure,” Young said.

Savannah River Site Watch Director Tom Clements on Wednesday similarly said the plutonium exposure is troubling – for both South Carolina and New Mexico.

“The rush by DOE to quickly expand plutonium pit production to SRS is fraught with risks and this accident serves as a red alert about those fast-tracked plans,” he said. “NNSA must immediately pause their overly ambitious pit production plans and fully review this troubling plutonium accident and its implications in environmental documents being prepared on pits at both SRS and Los Alamos.”

Los Alamos, near Albuquerque and Santa Fe, has been recognized as a plutonium center of excellence. Plutonium-238, what was being handled June 8, is not used in nuclear weapons, as NASA has noted.

Pit production at the Savannah River Site, according to the 2018 recommendation, would mean repurposing the failed and incomplete Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility.

Read more.

Posted in *English | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Cuba, Chernobyl and COVID-19 via Beyond Nuclear International

Posted on 2020/07/14 by nfield

Cuba’s doctors have been to the rescue before — to save Chernobyl’s children

By Linda Pentz Gunter

“We do not give what we have in excess; we share all that we have,” said Dr. Julio Medina, director of a Cuban medical program outside Havana that treated children from Chernobyl, in a May 2009 article in The Guardian. “It is simple.”

Today, as Cuban doctors travel the world treating the patients of COVD-19, it is still simple. It is, as the Chernobyl program was before it, “a commitment of solidarity.”

Yet Cuba is not without cases of the viral pandemic at home. In fact, the UK-based Cuba Solidarity Campaign (CSC) recently set up a fundraiser to “provide urgent medical aid to help Cuba during the coronavirus pandemic,” and specifically to purchase “ventilators, testing kits and personal protective equipment to support Cuban health workers in the fight against COVID-19 on the island.”

The CSC, Code Pink, actor Danny Glover and others are calling on the Nobel Committee, via a petition, to award the Cuban doctors — known as the Henry Reeve Brigade — the Nobel Peace Prize, not only for their efforts today, but for their previous rescue missions when ebola struck in West Africa, and cholera in Haiti.

The story of Cuba’s involvement in helping the children of Chernobyl, however, is less well known if at all. It was a free program that lasted an astonishing 21 years, beginning in 1990. In 2019 it resumed, this time to help “the sons and daughters of the victims, who are showing ailments similar to those of their parents,” according to Miguel Faure Polloni, writing in Resumen.

[…]

Beyond Nuclear is honored to partner with the Goethe-Institut DC and the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Washington, DC to present Cuba, Chernobyl and COVID-19: a live online event on Tuesday, July 21, at 5pm Eastern Time. The event features the directors of Un Traductor — Sebastián and Rodrigo Barriuso —discussing their film and the moving true story behind it that eventually resulted in more than 25,000 children from Chernobyl being treated in Cuba. They will be joined by historian and author, Kate Brown, and the Goethe-Institut representative in Cuba, Michael Thoss.

Please join our live event by replying to this Eventbrite invitation, after which you will receive a zoom link to register for the event. If you live in the US or Canada, you will be sent a private Vimeo link to view Un Traductor for free. If you live outside the US and Canada, you can rent the film on iTunes for $1.99.

Why were the Chernobyl children in Cuba? And why did they continue to come for more than two decades, to be followed now by their own children? Kate Brown, author of Manual for Survival. A Chernobyl Guide to the Future, is best positioned to answer that question, having conducted extensive research on the topic. Her book explodes the myth that only 54 liquidators died as a result of the 1896 nuclear disaster in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union.

As the film shows, children continued to come to Cuba, largely from Ukraine, even as the island itself began to feel the grip of austerity. As the Berlin Wall and then the Soviet Union crumbled, an economic crisis hit Cuba, including food and petrol shortages. But, as Dr. Medina told Telesur in 2017: “Though Cuba endured difficult economic times during the Special Period, our country continued providing specialized healthcare for those children.”

The early victims mainly suffered from thyroid cancer and leukemia, but over the years doctors and nurses in Cuba most commonly treated thyroid hyperplasia, vitiligo and alopecia. The children also suffered considerable psychological trauma related to their conditions. At Tarará, the hospital just outside Havana that became the center for treatment of Chernobyl victims, the children were also educated and allowed time to enjoy the beach at what was once an aristocratic resort under the Battista regime that the Cuban Revolution overthrew.

[…]

Read more.

Posted in *English | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Cuba, Chernobyl and COVID-19 via Beyond Nuclear International

除染土再利用地で野菜試験栽培 via NHK News Web

Posted on 2020/07/11 by nfield

除染で出た土の上に、ほかの土をかぶせて作られた飯舘村の畑で、ことしから野菜や花の栽培が始まり、今月から放射性物質の検査が行われることになっています。

この畑は、原発事故による帰還困難区域となっている飯舘村の長泥地区にあり、環境省が作物への放射性物質の影響を確かめる実証事業を行っています。
１０日、取材を申し込んでいた報道機関が初めて撮影を行いました。
６アールほどの広さの畑は除染で出た土を、５０センチほどの厚さのほかの土で覆って整備されました。
５月ごろからトマトやキュウリ、カブなどが栽培されていて、１０日は地元の住民が実を間引く作業を行いました。
農業ハウスではトルコギキョウなどの花も育てられていて、環境省は、今後、摘み取った野菜や花の放射性物質の検査を行い、市場には流通させません。
また、長泥地区では、除染で出た土を再生利用する新たな３４ヘクタールの農地の造成工事が今週から始まっています。

[…]

全文

Posted in *日本語 | Tagged , , , , , | 41 Comments

福島の国際教育研究拠点、沿岸部復興の司令塔に via 日本経済新聞

Posted on 2020/07/10 by yukimiyamotodepaul

東日本大震災と東京電力福島第1原子力発電所事故で被災した福島県沿岸部の復興に向け、国立の国際教育研究拠点の計画づくりが本格化している。国の有識者会議は6月、震災後に開設が相次いだ研究開発施設間の連携を生み出す「司令塔」の役割を提言した。福島大学などは拠点への機能の一部移転を検討。立地場所は年内に決まる見込みで、複数の自治体が誘致に名乗りを上げている。

有識者会議（座長・坂根正弘コマツ顧問）の提言によると、拠点の研究分野は原発の廃炉、ロボット、再生可能エネルギー、情報通信技術を使ったスマート農業など多岐にわたる。研究者らの人員は600人規模を見込み、2023年春に一部、24年度に本格開所を目指す。

国などは震災後、沿岸部で新産業創出を目指す「福島イノベーション・コースト構想」を推進。「楢葉遠隔技術開発センター」（楢葉町）、「福島ロボットテストフィールド」（南相馬市、浪江町）、「福島水素エネルギー研究フィールド」（同町）などが次々と整備された。

(略）

モデルケースは米ワシントン州の核施設「ハンフォード・サイト」周辺のまちづくりだ。軍事用プルトニウム精製による放射能汚染からの再生に向け、研究機関や企業が集積。産業が発展し、1990年に約15万人だった人口は30年で倍増した。

大学は拠点への参画のあり方を検討している。福島大は6月、教授らでつくるワーキンググループを設置。8月末をメドに機能の一部を移転する計画をまとめる。東北大は既に分校を設ける構想を公表した。筑波大、お茶の水女子大も進出を予定する。

拠点の立地場所も焦点となる。有識者会議は原発事故による避難指示が出された地域で、分散せず集約するとの2要件を提示。浪江町や富岡町が誘致に意欲を示し、南相馬市は相馬地方、双葉町は双葉地方への立地を希望する。ただ「拠点の規模などがわからず具体的な準備は進めづらい」（浪江町）との声もある。

全文は福島の国際教育研究拠点、沿岸部復興の司令塔に

Posted in *日本語 | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

５年以上も…なぜ長引く？原発の安全審査　規制委と電力各社、「活断層」巡り議論は平行線via 毎日新聞

Posted on 2020/07/08 by nfield

　原発の再稼働を巡り、原子力規制委員会による安全審査が長引いている。5年以上続く審査もあり、更田（ふけた）豊志委員長が6月の記者会見で「（状況によって）審査を凍結することもある」と懸念を示すほどだ。審査で電力各社に立ちはだかっているのは、活断層を巡る議論だ。2011年の東京電力福島第1原発事故前まで動いていた原発で、なぜ議論の決着に時間がかかっているのか。【荒木涼子】

　「真に科学的な観点から議論し、客観的なデータと根拠を明確にした上で結論を出すよう要求する」。13年、原子炉直下の活断層が指摘されている敦賀原発2号機（福井県敦賀市）の再稼働を目指す日本原子力発電（原電）は規制委に安全審査を申請する前に、そう主張していた。しかし、15年の申請から審査会合は迷走し、科学的な議論からほど遠い状況になっている。

[…]

もっと読む。

Posted in *日本語 | Tagged , | 4 Comments

State report: Exposure to air near Bridgeton Landfill may have harmed people’s health via St. Louis Public News

Posted on 2020/07/08 by yukimiyamotodepaul

By DAVID CAZARES

Updated at 5:45 p.m. with statement from Republic Services — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has determined that past exposure to sulfur-based compounds in the air near the Bridgeton landfill may have harmed the health of area residents and workers.

In a report released Friday, health officials said the odors may have aggravated chronic conditions such as asthma or caused respiratory problems. That came as no surprise to area activists, who have long said emissions from the landfill are hazardous.

[…]

Area residents and activists have long complained that a fire under the Bridgeton landfill has caused foul odors and respiratory problems. The fire, expected to smolder until 2024, is located about 600 feet from World War II-era radioactive waste under the nearby West Lake Landfill.

They said it was significant the state health report found that odors from the landfill had made breathing difficult for people with chronic diseases such as asthma or chronic cardiopulmonary disease, or had caused respiratory problems for people who live or work near the landfill.

“We are always grateful when we’re told the truth, even when the truth is painful” said activist Dawn Chapman a Maryland Heights resident and member of Just Moms STL. “With that said, we are devastated to find out there was a real threat of harm to our families — and this was discovered even without having all the critical data.”

[…]

In June, the state of Missouri reached a settlement with the owners of the Bridgeton landfill over how they’ve handled the underground fire. Former Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster filed suit against the companies in 2013.

The agreement calls for Bridgeton Landfill LLC, Allied Services LLC and Republic Services to put $12.5 million in a “community project fund” to compensate residents affected by the landfill. The owners also agreed to pay $3.5 million in penalties and damages to the state.

Bridgeton Landfill LLC has said it had “voluntarily invested more than $200 million in odor control, environmental remediation and site enhancements.”

Read more at State report: Exposure to air near Bridgeton Landfill may have harmed people’s health

Posted in *English | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

OPINION: Fukushima nuclear waste decision also a human rights issue via Kyodo News

Posted on 2020/07/08 by yukimiyamotodepaul

By Baskut Tuncak

In a matter of weeks, the government of Japan will have the opportunity to demonstrate to the world how much it values protecting human rights and the environment and to meet its international obligations.

In the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, myself and other U.N. special rapporteurs consistently raised concerns about the approaches taken by the government of Japan. We have been concerned that raising of “acceptable limits” of radiation exposure to urge resettlement violated the government’s human rights obligations to children.

We have been concerned of the possible exploitation of migrants and the poor for radioactive decontamination work. Our most recent concern is how the government used the COVID-19 crisis to dramatically accelerate its timeline for deciding whether to dump radioactive wastewater accumulating at Fukushima Daiichi in the ocean.

[…]

Releasing the toxic wastewater collected from the Fukushima nuclear plant would be, without question, a terrible blow to the livelihood of local fishermen. Regardless of the health and environmental risks, the reputational damage would be irreparable, an invisible and permanent scar upon local seafood. No amount of money can replace the loss of culture and dignity that accompany this traditional way of life for these communities.

[…]

The discharge of nuclear waste to the ocean could damage Japan’s international relations. Neighboring countries are already concerned about the release of large volumes of radioactive tritium and other contaminants in the wastewater.

Japan has a duty under international law to prevent transboundary environmental harm. More specifically, under the London Convention, Japan has an obligation to take precaution with the respect to the dumping of waste in the ocean. Given the scientific uncertainty of the health and environmental impacts of exposure to low-level radiation, the disposal of this wastewater would be completely inconsistent with the spirit, if not the letter, of this law.

Indigenous peoples have an internationally recognized right to free, prior and informed consent. This includes the disposal of waste in their waters and actions that may contaminate their food. No matter how small the Japanese government believes this contamination will be of their water and food, there is an unquestionable obligation to consult with potentially affected indigenous peoples that it has not met.

[…]

I have reported annually to the U.N. Human Rights Council for the past six years. Whether the topic was on child rights or worker’s rights, in nearly each and every one of those discussion at the United Nations, the situation of Fukushima Daiichi is raised by concerned observers for the world to hear. Intervening organizations have pleaded year-after-year for the Japanese government to extend an invitation to visit so I can offer recommendations to improve the situation. I regret that my mandate is coming to an end without such an opportunity despite my repeated requests to visit and assess the situation.

[…]

(Baskut Tuncak has served as U.N. special rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes since 2014.)

Read more at OPINION: Fukushima nuclear waste decision also a human rights issue

Posted in *English | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

海洋放出「反対」圧倒的 原発汚染水　福島２１議会が意見書 via しんぶん赤旗

Posted on 2020/07/08 by yukimiyamotodepaul

東京電力福島第１原発事故で発生した放射能汚染水を処理した後に残る高濃度のトリチウム（３重水素）を含む汚染水を薄めて海に流す案などを政府が検討している問題で、意見書や決議を可決した福島県内の議会が、少なくとも県と２０市町村の計２１議会にのぼることが、日本共産党県議団の調査で分かりました。海洋放出に反対する意見が圧倒的で、風評被害への対策、住民や関係者からの丁寧な意見聴取などを求める声があがっています。

意見書は、全県５９市町村のうち、いわき市や南相馬市など太平洋に面した浜通り地方だけでなく、内陸部の会津若松市や郡山市など県内全域で次々と可決されています。

（略）

　海洋放出に賛成はなく、１８議会が悪影響に直接言及するなど否定的で、うち１３議会は明確に反対。海洋放出への是非を避けた３議会も漁業者への風評被害に懸念を示しました。三春町と西郷村（にしごうむら）は大気への放出にも反対しました。陸上での長期保管を求める声も多く、トリチウムの分離・回収技術の開発を望む声もありました。

全文は海洋放出「反対」圧倒的 原発汚染水　福島２１議会が意見書

Posted in *日本語 | Tagged , | 9 Comments