Majority of residents living near Fukushima Daiichi tested for radioactive iodine in thyroid found with abnormal exposure levels
Radioacitve iodine has been detected by Japanese scientists in the thyroid glands of 80 percent of the people who used to live near the Fukushima nuclear plant. 50 of 65 residents tested were…
Reports of Japanese fishery products detected with contamination on the rise in South Korea
There are increasing reports in South Korea of imported Japanese fishery products which have been detected to contain radioactive cesium and other isotopes. Over 30 reports have been filed in 2012, already more…
NHK Survey shows most of Japanese areas near nuclear power plants concerned about restart
An NHK survey has found that nearly 80 percent of municipalities hosting or located near nuclear power plants are wary about resuming operations at reactors that are offline for regular inspections. Will approve…
One year after Fukushima – Reassessing nuclear safety and the ability to avoid disaster (Part Two)
The Fukushima disaster is horrible and still unfolding, and caused a disastrous disruption to production and distribution networks not only in Japan, but around the world. Prime Minister Nato Kan while still in…
One year after Fukushima – Defining and classifying a disaster (Part One)
This is the first in a series of articles dedicated to preserve the facts revealed about the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Disaster A disaster is a natural or man-made (or technological) hazard that has come to fruition, resulting in an event…
Record 5.5 Trillion Yen Lawsuit Filed Against TEPCO
TEPCO shareholders have filed a lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court against 27 utility executives. The plaintiffs are jointly seeking a record 5.5 trillion yen (S$85 billion) in compensation, claiming that the accident…
Cesium contamination affects forests over 80 km from Fukushima Daiichi – Namie levels spike up to 4,400,000 bq/kg in leaves
New surveys released by the Forestry Agency in Japan show that leaves in Fukushima prefecture near Namie, Futaba-machi, and other areas over 30 km from Fukushima Daiichi are contaminated up to 4,400,000 bq/kg…
Report says Fukushima Reactor 2 containment possibly failed shortly after the earthquake
Researchers from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency have conducted simulations that show that Fukushima Daiichi Reactor 2 may have sustained damage immediately after the earthquake. The simulations showed that a hole possibly 6…
Many local Japanese officials still on TEPCO payroll – Younger generations of TEPCO workers fear stable future work environment
Tokyo Electric Power Co. is under fire for trying to raise consumers’ electricity bills before making sufficient efforts to streamline its management. The Japanese government is set to take a majority stake in…
What is the future of nuclear safety after Fukushima?
Fukushima alone cannot change future approaches to nuclear safety In Japan, TEPCO’s approach to safety remained lax even as the Fukushima disaster was unfolding, leading to a significant lack of trust in the…
Scientists estimates of cesium released from Fukushima doubled previous numbers
Last summer, the Japanese government estimated that the March 11 Fukushima accident released 15,000 terabecquerels of cesium. Japanese researchers have newly released data that shows a mind-boggling 40,000 trillion becquerels (40,000 terabecquerels, or 40…
High levels of cesium from Fukushima found near elementary school in Yokohama Japan
High levels of radioactive cesium were found in an area near an elementary school in Yokohama and official levels have been registered over 6.85 uSv/hr. After investigation officials believe that the radiation accumulated…
Quince 2 Robot completes first investigation of Fukushima Daiichi Reactor
TEPCO has dispatched the Quince 2 robot into the 5th operating floor of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant Reactor 2. Radiation doses over 220 mSv per hour were recorded, as the robot…
Japan Prime Minister and other officials unaware of key emergency response system SPEEDI until after Fukushima Daiichi disaster
NHK reports an independent panel investigating the Fukushima nuclear accident has found that the prime minister was not aware of SPEEDI, the government’s system that can predict the spread of radioactive materials quickly. …
TEPCO hoping equipment will bring the radiation in contaminated water below legal level for release into the sea
Radioactive water leaks have repeatedly surfaced at Fukushima Daiichi, and recent flyovers have revealed thousands of tanks to store contaminated water lined in sprawled masses across the site. In a UN conference this…
PBS FRONTLINE Documentary to feature new footage “Inside Japan’s Nuclear Meltdown”
Watch Inside Japan’s Nuclear Meltdown on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE. The opening scenes of the documentary set the tone for the rest of the film with previously unseen footage of the…
Japanese press gets closest aerial footage of Fukushima Daiichi in nearly a year
The Fukushima Daiichi site is still a harsh reminder of the disaster that has been unfolding over the last year, everything on site appears broken, shattered, and scattered. Japanese press shot footage around…
Japan to replace all 17 TEPCO boardmembers in exchange for $12 billion bailout – 9 thermometers reported failed at Fukushima Reactor 2
TEPCO announced that 9 out of 41 thermometers at Fukushima Daiichi are now reported failed. Temperature gauges began rising again on February 20th, peaking at over 50 degrees Celsius. At the end…
Fukushima Reactor 2 temperature levels rising over last 48 hours
The temperature levels at Fukushima Daiichi Reactor 2 are forcing workers at Fukushima Daiichi to undertake special measures to verify the accuracy of readings plant workers are using to maintain a state of…
Japan confirms some areas surrounding Fukushima Daiichi likely permanently off-limits to habitation
A few hours after the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi began to leak radiation into the environment reportedly first from the Unit 1 reactor shortly after 17:00 when radioactive…
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