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Mainichi: Decontamination failed and abandoned after Chernobyl — Residents allowed back, then forced to leave again — Now no return for centuries says Zone official

Published: April 25th, 2012 at 7:02 am ET
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Title: With clean-up around Chernobyl abandoned, what can Japan learn from 1986 disaster?
Source: Mainichi
Date: Apr 25, 2012

[...] large-scale decontamination work [around Chernobyl] has been abandoned as largely ineffective, and disaster refugees are no closer to going home. [...]

[...] in the 14 years between the disaster and the year 2000 [...] authorities apparently judged that there had been “little improvement” in soil conditions, and they decided to halt soil decontamination. [...]

More than 110,000 people once lived in the Zone, all of whom were evacuated right after the accident. The Soviet authorities apparently attempted to decontaminate the town of Prypiat — where Chernobyl plant workers and their families had lived — soon after, but with no success. [...]

Mr. Zolotoverkh, 58, who is in charge of managing the Zone, says there is no chance that decontamination will be resumed, adding, “No one will be allowed to return, not after decades, not after centuries.” [...]

In June 1986, the Soviet government decided to allow residents back to parts of the forced migration areas that were relatively uncontaminated on a trial basis. Decontamination work was done, and the project drew up indices that would show whether the efforts could be applied to the clean-up of other areas. However, the authorities recognized that dangerous radioactive materials remained, and revoked permission for residents to return two years later. [...]

Correct Conclusion?

The scale of the two disasters, however, is different. The Chernobyl accident is thought to have released several times the radioactive material of the Fukushima disaster. The decontamination of agricultural lands — a process that Japan has put so much faith into — has been essentially abandoned around the Chernobyl plant, and there is increasing criticism that there is “no way Chernobyl can give any insight into the Japanese situation.”

Read the report here

In reality, Fukushima may have been considerably worse than Chernobyl for areas nearby the plant. More on this troubling development will be posted today.

See also:

Published: April 25th, 2012 at 7:02 am ET
By
Email Article Email Article
21 comments

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April 25th, 2012 | Category: Chernobyl Comparisons
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21 comments to Mainichi: Decontamination failed and abandoned after Chernobyl — Residents allowed back, then forced to leave again — Now no return for centuries says Zone official

  • Spectrometising
    April 25, 2012 at 8:04 am

    I have no idea 'what to do' (WTD).
    If only we had free "open source" opinion.
    Maybe a free Nuclear scientist that was actually publicly owned and funded and not yet detonated.
    http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2033725,00.html


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  • hanaloa hanaloa
    April 25, 2012 at 8:05 am

    Chernobyl should have been the last lesson we needed to stop the nuclear madness, but obviously the nuclear/military industry (and most of the rest of us) ignored it…and now Fukushima…maybe the last lesson before schoolʻs out for good…


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  • Whoopie Whoopie
    April 25, 2012 at 8:29 am

    ALERTE: Fukushima became molten. Confirmation #genpatsu #BBC #PBS @maddow #LAW #HumanRight http://www.wikistrike.com/article-alerte-fukushima-est-entre-en-fusion-confirmation-103961761.html I will be including all the above people in ALL my tweets today. WAKE UP WORLD!


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  • cardi77u
    April 25, 2012 at 8:32 am

    Is there any definitive source that can say if Fukushima has released more radiation than Chernobyl so far? I have no doubt that if it hasn't already, it certainly will


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  • ion jean ion jean
    April 25, 2012 at 8:34 am

    They don't talk about this stuff in public high schools…miseducation right through to post grad in medicine and nuclear sciences…risks downplayed to get kids into their "Nuclear Camp"…all they talk about now is global warming (and nuclear as part of the answer).

    WE Need To Deprogram Our Children Before Their Minds Are Lost!


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    • SnorkY2K
      April 25, 2012 at 8:50 am

      Not only miseducation, there is also a lag in information flow. For instance, we only discussed three forms of radiation and never discussed cluster decay, neutron capture, other issues that Fukushima is encountering. Also, most schools only discuss the isotopes of hydrogen as hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium but have not included the other four. The three that are discussed do not mention that they have biological implications such as what deuterium does to cell replication.


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      • Wreedles Wreedles
        April 25, 2012 at 1:54 pm

        I consider myself very well-read in general, and fairly well-read in matters nuclear, considering my interest is purely my life-long fascinated horror on the subject.

        However, I was unaware of the four higher-order isotopes of hydrogen until I looked them up after reading your post, and I only recently became aware of the biological effects of deuterium on cell replication.

        Thus providing an instance of the information lag you mentioned; thank you for pointing it out.


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  • rooks rooks
    April 25, 2012 at 8:38 am

    Chernobyl had vast releases for 10 days and all of it was inland plus a major carbon based crew that went into stopping the releases. Fukushima on the other hand has been releasing for over a year now mainly into the ocean with no carbon based robots that can enter. I do not think anyone should compare the two. When the coriums are found let's talk. Until then, Fukushima is the worst nuclear disaster that humans have created up to now.


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    • dharmasyd
      April 25, 2012 at 8:05 pm

      @ Rooks..Thanks for this important statement. We don't know, and won't know until more information is in. Unitl then, however, Fuku seems the worst nuke disaster ever.


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  • mikael
    April 25, 2012 at 8:57 am

    The problem is whats been cover up of the scale of releasing of radioactive materials.
    The numbers are not even near the truth and is based on mesurments don in a fasion that makes it usless. And corect me if I am wrong, how many gauges is this Report based on and where. The hols picture isn once again diluted.
    The fallout to the se is aprox mutch higher and is largly neglegted and highly questinable.

    All in all the Lesser than Tjernobyl is utter driwel.
    That was a one time exlpotion, and was in a while closed/capsulated and therby redused its fallout.
    This is not only One site, the Daiishi, its ever others to with similare conditions and there are at least 12-15 meltthrues and meltouts and the lie is at biblical proportions and the future looks Grimm.

    And whats even more unbelivable, its all just because of Saving the forunes to a Litle click of RobberBarons and Shear/Stock Holders.
    And the price, we and I may not even Live long anouf to behold, this will poison everything, forever.

    And all this is Facts.

    Its a sad day for humanity, we may never be able to recover from this, and that because of Greed.

    peace

    MORAL COURAGE
    "Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital, quality for those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change."
    R.F…


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    • dharmasyd
      April 25, 2012 at 8:09 pm

      @Mikael…You make very good points, sad, but very good.


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    • StillJill StillJill
      April 25, 2012 at 8:26 pm

      Yes Mikael,….I always enjoy hearing your mind!

      Loved the quote on 'moral courage'–SPOT ON! :-)

      Reminds me of one of my ex's chiding me for 'voting my conscience'!
      (He'd say I was throwing my vote away,..and helping the one 'we' don't want to get elected.)

      I wish I had simply said,…"I'll vote my conscience so as to feed it,….at least I HAVE ONE"!


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  • glowfus
    April 25, 2012 at 3:30 pm

    chernobile had approx. 25 tons of reactor fuel and fuku melt #'s 1-3 had 180 tons. not including sfp #4 plus ten other "problem reactors." plus the debris field plus the lost cores plus the tokyo contamination plus the sea-side location plus the earthquakes and tidal waves, minus the polished b.s.,,,wasn't/isn't japan allowing their people four times the chernobyl dose rate?


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