News From The Meltdowns: March 2014 Insanity Continues
Channel: rumorecurioso
Date: 2014-03-14

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/  

NEW DEVICE ALLOWS QUICK RADIATION CHECKS OF CATTLE

Fukushima Prefecture has developed a device that can measure the radiation level of live cows in just one minute. Tests that use blood or urine samples normally take about a week to produce results.

 The Fukushima Agricultural Technology Centre led the development of the equipment. It was demonstrated on Thursday at a cattle market in Motomiya City.

 The device is applied to the cow's hind leg for one minute. The level of radioactive substances, mainly cesium, is shown on a display. Radioactive cesium is said to accumulate in the muscles.

 The tests were carried out on 80 heads of cattle that were auctioned at the market later in the day. All the cows cleared the government's standards, and the results were explained to the cattle owners.

 Fukushima Prefecture has been conducting radiation checks on all cattle before shipment since the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. But the tests involve taking blood or urine samples and the results are available in about a week.

 A cattle farmer who had a cow checked said the new device will help to confirm the safety of cattle from Fukushima more efficiently.

 Shigeru Shiga from the technology center says beef cattle from Fukushima have been affected by consumer concerns over radiation contamination in the wake of the nuclear accident.

 Shiga said he hopes the new device will help to guarantee the safety of cattle and reduce the burden on cattle farmers.

Mar. 13, 2014 - Updated 07:01 UTC

RADIATION SURGE DETAILED IN 2011 ACCIDENT

Data recorded by radiation monitoring posts near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant show the environmental radiation level rose sharply 1 hour before a hydrogen explosion took place at the plant.

 14 monitoring posts around the plant recorded the radiation level every 20 seconds after the plant was damaged by the earthquake and tsunami on March 11th of 2011.

 Data recorded by one of the monitoring posts, located 5.6 kilometers northwest of the plant, show that the radiation level began surging after 2:10 PM on March 12th.

 At 2:40 and 40 seconds, the post measured 4.6 millisieverts per hour, the highest level of the day. That was about 1 hour before a hydrogen explosion occurred at the No.1 reactor of the plant.

 The data suggest the accumulated doses of radiation would have reached 1 millisievert in about 20 minutes. 1 millisievert is the annual exposure limit for ordinary people.

 Masamichi Chino, senior researcher at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, says the rise in the environmental radiation level may have been caused by an emergency operation to protect the No.1 reactor by reducing pressure within the containment vessel. Tokyo Electric Power officials began the so-called vent work at around 2:00 PM.

 The vented air was released after going through water to reduce the amount of radioactive cesium. The step is intended to reduce the substance to 1 thousandth of its original level. But the measure may not have been effective.

 Chino says the data can help researchers investigate how radioactive substances were released into the atmosphere and study the effectiveness of the venting process.

Mar. 11, 2014 - Updated 12:09 UTC

ANTI-NUCLEAR PROTEST ON 3RD-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Anti-nuclear activists staged a rally in Tokyo on Sunday ahead of the 3rd anniversary of the March 11th accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

 The protesters marched through the streets toward the Diet building. They held up placards demanding the elimination of nuclear power plants for the protection of children.

 They surrounded the parliament building, saying the nation's nuclear plants should not be restarted.

 A 62-year-old woman from Kawauchi Village, Fukushima Prefecture, joined the rally with her 5-year-old granddaughter.

 She said she thinks the situation is getting worse rather than better 3 years after the accident. She said she wanted to raise awareness that the people who live in Fukushima are still facing difficulties.

 A 41-year-old Tokyo resident said this is the first time she has taken her 1st-grade daughter to a demonstration. She said she hopes the experience will cause her daughter to start thinking about nuclear power plants.

 The organizer said about 10,000 people took to the streets. Police put the figure at about 4,000.

Mar. 9, 2014 - Updated 12:58 UTC