AP reports 60km from Fukushima plant: Gov’t trying to avoid mass panic — We’re being told to get radiated and drop dead — They must think we are fools — It’s not really OK to live here — 1,000s waiting for internal radiation checks

Published: March 7th, 2012 at 6:04 am ET
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Title: Uncertain risks torment Japanese in nuclear zone
Source: AP
Author: Yuri Kageyama
Date: March 07, 2012 03:31 AM EST

[...] a sense of unease pervades the residents of Fukushima [City, population 300,000, 60km from meltdowns]. Some have moved away. Everyone else knows they are living with an invisible enemy. [...] 

It hasn’t helped that the government has given only the most optimistic scenarios of the risks to avoid mass panic.

Public skepticism of government assurances grew when the man appointed as health adviser for Fukushima prefecture, Shunichi Yamashita, repeatedly said exposure to 100 millisieverts of radiation a year was safe. [...]

At area hospitals, thousands of people are on waiting lists to get their radiation levels measured with whole-body counters. One child at Minami Soma Hospital, southeast of Fukushima, was found with 2,653 becquerels of radioactive cesium. [...]

Noteworthy Quotes

  • “The government spokesman keeps saying there are no IMMEDIATE health effects. He’s not talking about 10 years or 20 years later. He must think the people of Fukushima are fools. It’s not really OK to live here. But we live here.” -48-year-old nursery school worker Yoshiko Ota, of Fukushima City (40 miles or 60 kilometers away from meltdows)
  • “Government officials should all come live in Fukushima for several years and bring their families. They’re all staying in places where it’s safe. We’re being told to get radiated and drop dead.” -Kouta Miyazaki
  • “People are scared to death — They are thinking, ‘Tell me. Is it good or bad?’ We can’t tell them. … Life is risky” -Wolfgang Weiss, chairman of the U.N. Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, which is studying Fukushima
  • “Studies have found that cancer risks rise at an annual exposure of 100 millsieverts or above but aren’t statistically detectable at lower levels. Below 100, experts can’t say for sure whether it’s safe, just that a link to cancer can’t be proven” -AP
  • “We are defining policies to live and coexist with radiation” -Date Mayor Shouji Nishida

Read the report here

Published: March 7th, 2012 at 6:04 am ET
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31 comments

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31 comments to AP reports 60km from Fukushima plant: Gov’t trying to avoid mass panic — We’re being told to get radiated and drop dead — They must think we are fools — It’s not really OK to live here — 1,000s waiting for internal radiation checks

  • milk and cheese milk and cheese

    And so it begins. I am sorry for the people of Japan, but they should have been mobbing the government offices a year ago.


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  • in tv was a documentation yesterday on 3sat in europe about fukushima mothers suing the govt and other facts (children only playing inside and so on)
    so it seems people down there feel whats going on and MSM catches up (slowly)
    would like to know what is true and what is fake.
    sure the reactors exploded but it is not the end of world. the pros present low data, the antis high, hard to decide what to do based on this.
    sure stop nukes, but what to do when living down there in the given situation?
    "but they should have been mobbing the government offices a year ago." well THAT could be said about every government…..


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    • BreadAndButter BreadAndButter

      Hi catweazel, I think the point is that the govmt is not releasing the data they've been sitting on for one entire year now.
      Whether the readings are low or high, they KNOW and don't publish it.
      People are unable to take an informed decision about their and their families' futures!
      And on a personal note, I guess for more than one of those affected the whole situation is indeed "the end of the world".


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      • yeah i know.
        but i dont believe the figures in the report and i dont believe tepco and as of now there is no reliable source of widespread data.
        that is the thing i hate about that crisis.
        and they didnt even start to implement ANYTHING trustworthy as of now.


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        • HoTaters HoTaters

          http://www.datapoke.org

          Arclight has posted several times on a similar independent radiation monitoring network in Europe.

          There is independent monitoring, but you have to look for it.


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        • john lh john lh

          Japanese people should do whatever they choice individually.

          There is no more government in Japan, that whole government system is failing their people,just favor money, instead of life.

          It is the proven truth and facts in Japan ,for 1 years.

          People on this forum knows and watch every steps and details since 3.11,we are not more smart than any others on this planet, and as I said, the Japanese government know more and better than you and me.

          They are the criminals against human life.
          Why Japanese people continue to honor them, obey them, listen to their instruction till after 1 years?


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      • john lh john lh

        +100% Yes, we know what we are talking about. This is criminal action against all the humanity civilization, against all the human being.

        Not only those people in Fukushima affected zone.


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  • Whoopie Whoopie

    #Fukushima: The Fukushima Accident's Legacy One Year Later http://huff.to/xmrYwc via @HuffingtonPost


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  • and when not having facts in a situation like this makes it even harder


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  • WindorSolarPlease

    It doesn't look good for them or North America.

    If there would have been honesty from day one, would there have been masses of panic?

    As much as the public deserves honest facts and accountability, is it worth living out the rest of our lives with possible havoc that this information could cause?

    However, when I see them wanting to build more of these plants and not shutting down the ones we have, that is when I realize it's not for our benefit that they are quiet.

    Personally, I think when people have the facts, they can make wiser decisions for themselves.


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    • many moons

      Well said!!!
      Japan isn't beening fair with the people , infact they seem not to care at all about the people…could the same be said for the USA. While they are finishing a MOX plant in South Carolina massive debri is lurching toward the coast of CA ( they will say it isn't radio active…but it is) Could those same workers be out in boats dealing with what is coming before it lands? We will have to collect it at some point. Granted it will be easier and cheaper when it hits the land but what will it do to the population living there…Who cares?…WE have to care for ourselves!!!!!!!! Havoc or not it's time to march!!!


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      • WindorSolarPlease

        Thank you many moons.

        I agree that there has been a lot that has not been fair to the public.

        I also agree that they should be ending Nuclear Power.

        You are right we have that debris that is coming in, I wouldn't touch it.

        People have marched against nuclear power as far as I can remember, the Corporations could care less.
        The only way to stop them from building these, is to hit them in the pocket book.

        No more financing them. Those who can afford to start business's that offer "affordable" alternatives to safer power need to get it out on the market, so people can change over without having to pay an unrealistic price.

        I see nothing wrong in drawing attention to ending nuclear power by Marches as long as it is peaceful and lawful.


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  • NoNukes NoNukes

    There are approximately 90 U.S. military bases in Japan. There is not a concrete separation between Japan and the United States. The United States has very specific data about the United States and Japan.

    http://www.jca.apc.org/wsf_support/2004doc/WSFJapUSBaseRepoFinalAll.html


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    • Sickputer

      NN: <There are approximately 90 U.S. military bases in Japan

      Perhaps to some extent thread offtopic, but I don't wear SS colors and I do have military friends in Okinawa: The jca.apc.org website has data about 5 years or older ("58 years since the end of WWII") so be aware the information in Internet time is extremely dated.

      This website (14 years old)says there are 23 bases:

      http://militarybases.com/overseas/japan/

      Good geographic breakdown of all the bases…a bookmark saver.

      On thread: The approaching pandemic will strike hardest in Fukushima Prefecture. Verified health news out of here of massive radiation contamination of people will be a sensation in Japan and spill over to some MSM outlets. There will be little Tepco/NRC publicity wiggle room for these poor dosed and doused souls.


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  • Heart of the Rose Heart of the Rose

    I did not see a story here.. not sure how I missed it…if there was one.
    The new NRC docs..talk about the USS Ronald Reagan…measuring 30 times background at 100 miles…


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    • jec

      Lets just say –the US Ronald Reagan –has sailors on board. Anyone keeping an eye out for their levels of contamination? Am sure the Navy is doing that, but will they share it? 100 miles out and 30 X background and for which radiation? Gads…hard to decontaminate a whole aricraft carrier. Was on the ship once..in 2003.


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    • James2

      There's been several discussions on the Reagan – one on that revelation last week.

      This is how i knew there was a big problem right from the start. I have some knowledge of carriers and know that they don't redeploy a carrier from a critical mission unless they are at high risk of losing the ship.

      I suspect everyone aboard was exposed to plutonium and uranium particles.

      Of course that means their deaths will begin in about six months and be complete in about four years. This applies to the entire carrier battle group, so my guess is 10,000 sailors and Marines will be lost from that single source alone. – and of course that does not include those who will die from land-based contamination.


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    • USS Ronald Reagan Commanding Officer Speaks Out on Crew Radiation Exposure
      March 14, 2011 | 9:01 AM | By Beth Ford Roth

      I know a lot of you out there have loved ones on the USS Ronald Reagan, and you’re probably a little freaked out about the news that some members of the crew were exposed to radiation as they flew off the Japan coast. Well, the commanding officer of the Reagan has written a letter of reassurance on Facebook:

      Friends and Family of USS Ronald Reagan:

      I want to take this opportunity to personally assure you that first and foremost all personnel aboard the USS Ronald Reagan are safe and healthy.

      During our mission to assist our close allies of Japan, we were operating near the radioactive plume from Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant. As you may have already heard, radioactivity was detected on 17 personnel from our ship, however, we promptly took the proper precautions and the radioactivity was easily removed by using soap and water. The levels that were detected were very low levels. To put this into perspective, the maximum radiation dose received was equalt to the amount of natural background radiation one would receive in one month from sources such as rocks, soil and the …

      http://homepost.kpbs.org/2011/03/uss-ronald-reagan-commanding-officer-speaks-out-on-crew-radiation-exposure/


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  • TheBigPicture TheBigPicture

    What will change in the next disaster? ..probably not a single thing, i.e, killer plumes will filter through us without warning. The only solution is to end the use of this crap technology.


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  • markww markww

    THE WORLD AND THE UN SHOULD HAVE RESPONDED ALONG WITH SCIENTISTS TO HELP IN THE WORLDS LARGEST WORLDWIDE DISASTER


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  • pure water

    Excuse me, if you have seen this video already, but it is worth watching for those, who have missed it:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE38cZQd0SI&feature=relmfu
    It contains a presentatin of a documentary film made in Fukushima about the life of ordinary people. The words of children there have to be heard! I would like to see the whole film.


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  • gottagetoffthegrid

    "One child at Minami Soma Hospital, southeast of Fukushima, was found with 2,653 becquerels of radioactive cesium"

    so that means if that child weighs less than about 53kg (which they most certainly do) then they are in serious trouble:

    http://enenews.com/must-see-top-radiation-expert-50-bqkg-in-humans-leads-to-irreversible-lesions-in-vital-organs-then-top-un-official-refutes-effects-of-internal-radiation-video

    not to mention the non-cesium radioactive elements such as strontium…


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  • huskydawg44

    I just saw this article at Yahoo! I was wondering if it would already be up or not… of course it's up already! Nicely done.


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