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The Fukushima Daiichi Disaster

Matthewjohnston92

Image on 16 March 2011 of the four damaged reactor buildings. From right to left: Unit 1,2,3,4. Hydrogen-air explosions occurred in Unit 4,3 and 1 causing the building damage, while a vent in Unit 2's wall, with water vapor/"steam" clearly visible, preventing a similar explosion.
Date	11 March 2011 (2011-03-11)
Location	Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan
Coordinates	37°25′17″N 141°1′57″E
Outcome	INES Level 7 (Major accident)
Location in Japan

External videos
24 hours live camera for Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster on YouTube, certified by Tokyo Electric Power Co. Inc.

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown was the result of a failure at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, causing a meltdown on three of the six plants nuclear reactors on March 11th, 2011. This was caused by a tsunami which occurred from the Tōhoku earthquake. The plant than began to leak out significant amounts of radioactive materials starting on March 12th, 2011. The magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck the northeast coast of the main island of Honshu. Following the quake, whole towns on the northeast coast were devastated by a massive tsunami, leaving millions without power or water. Many people lost their homes and all of their possessions as well as died. People were taken by the waters of the tsunami and trapped under inaccessible debris fields that even if their location was known, there would still be no way to get to them. "The earthquake was not only the strongest ever recorded in Japan: it was also the fourth most severe ever measured anywhere in the world", said Torsten Jeworrek, Munich Re's Reinsurance CEO.This disaster has been recorded as becoming the largest nuclear incident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the second to measure a level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. Two years later in August of 2013, it was stated the amount of radioactive water is among the most pressing problem that is affecting the cleaning process to decontaminate the waters, which will take decades. Experts say that, had we been able to take action in the first 24 hours after the incident occurred, perhaps reactor 1 would not have blown up and the entire disaster might have been averted.

Evacuations

There have been continued amounts of spills of contaminated water at the plant and also into the sea. Approximately 300,000 people evacuated the area, there were no reports of any short term radiation exposure facilities. Approximately 18,500 people died due to the earthquake and tsunami, and as of August 2013 approximately 1,600 deaths were related to the evacuation conditions, such as living in housing and hospital closures.

The government initially set in place a 4-stage evacuation process: a prohibited access area out to 3 km, an on-alert area 3–20 km and an evacuation prepared area 20–30 km. On day one nearly 134,000 people were evacuated from the prohibited access and on-alert areas. Four days later an additional 354,000 were evacuated from the prepared area. Later, Prime Minister Kan instructed people within the on-alert area to leave, and urged those in the prepared area to stay indoors. The latter groups were urged to evacuate on 25 March.

Long Term Effects

Experts on the ground in Japan agree that Mental health challenges are the most significant issue. Stress, such as that caused by dislocation, uncertainty and concern about unseen toxicants, often manifests in physical ailments, such as heart disease. So even if radiation risks are low, people are still concerned and worried. Behavioral changes can follow, including poor dietary choices, lack of exercise and sleep deprivation, all of which can have long-term negative health consequences. People who lost their homes, villages and family members, and even just those who survived the quake, will likely continue to face mental health challenges and the physical ailments that come with stress. Much of the damage was really the psychological stress of not knowing and of being relocated, according to U.C. Berkeley's McKone.

Health Risks

The World Health Organization reported that "the predicted risks are low and no observable increases in cancer rates above baseline rates are anticipated" . In terms of specific cancers, the estimated increased risks over what would normally be expected are: all solid cancers - around 4% in females exposed as infants; breast cancer - around 6% in females exposed as infants; leukaemia - around 7% in males exposed as infants; thyroid cancer - up to 70% in females exposed as infants (the normally expected risk of thyroid cancer in females over lifetime is 0.75% and the additional lifetime risk assessed for females exposed as infants in the most affected location is 0.50%).

Marine biologists have warned that the radioactive water may be leaking continuously into the sea from the underground, citing high radioactivity in fish samples taken near the plant. Most fish and seafood from along the Fukushima coast are barred from domestic markets and exports. Ono said that an estimated 1,972 plant workers, or 10 percent of those checked, had thyroid exposure doses exceeding 100 millisieverts – a threshold for increased risk of developing cancer – instead of the 178 based on checks of 522 workers reported to the World Health Organization last year.

Radiation in US Snow and Beach Sands

Snowfall found in Missouri was said to have contained double the amount of normal radiation. Infowars has also uploaded a youtube video that showed background radiation at a Coastside beach reaching over 150 micro-REM per hour. Health officials in San Mateo County confirmed this information but still remained ‘befuddled’ as to its cause.

Seafood Industry

U.S Scienctists and wildlife specialists are concerned about Fukushima's impact on the fishing industry. If enough contamination is dumped into ocean it is possible for the contamination to eventually reach the coasts of North America. This has happened with physical debris from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, and the same currents are bringing the invisible contaminants as well. Fish, especially salmon, must migrate through the radioactive plumes coming off Fukushima before being harvested on North American coasts. Some believe this represents an eventual health crisis, and that it’s no longer safe to eat fish from the Pacific Ocean. Researchers from Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University and the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, released a study May 28 that showed that all 15 samples of Pacific Bluefin tuna caught off of San Diego in August 2011 showed indisputable signs of radiation contamination emanating from Fukushima.

Future Complications

Suzuki in 2006

Environmental Activist David Suzuki who normally does not get involved with international economical disasters other than in Canada agreed to research into this particular event and made a horrifying discovery and report. In a video he stated that the probability of another 7.0 earthquake hitting Japan again in the next three years is over 95%. Suzuki states that the fourth reactor was so badly damaged, if a future earthquake of 7.0 or above strikes again, it's "bye bye Japan" and the entire west coast of North America should be evacuated. In order to find a permanent solution to this cause, the government will have to stop holding back on the help of others and allow an international group of experts openly and freely examine the site and make suggestions.

Response

The Investigation Committee on the accident stated that Japan's response was caused by "poor communication and delays in releasing data on dangerous radiation leaks at the facility". The report blamed Japan's central government as well as TEPCO, "depicting a scene of harried officials incapable of making decisions to stem radiation leaks as the situation at the coastal plant worsened in the days and weeks following the disaster". The report said poor planning worsened the disaster response, noting that authorities had "grossly underestimated tsunami risks" that followed the magnitude 9.0 earthquake. The 12.1 metres (40 ft) high tsunami that struck the plant was double the height of the highest wave predicted by officials. The erroneous assumption that the plant's cooling system would function after the tsunami worsened the disaster. "Plant workers had no clear instructions on how to respond to such a disaster, causing miscommunication, especially when the disaster destroyed backup generators."