Rally Speak Out At Japanese Consulate-Stop Restarting Japan Nuke Plants and Defe

11/11/15 Rally Speak Out At Japanese Consulate-Stop Restarting Japan Nuke Plants and Defend Fukushima Children and Families
Speak Out-Press Conference
Wednesday November 11, 2015 3:00 PM
San Francisco Japanese Consulate
275 Battery St. off California St.
San Francisco, California

The Abe government continues to push to restart more nuclear plants in Japan at the same time that they have been unable to stop the continued release of radiation from Fukushima. Even former prime minsters Koizumi and Kan are opposing the restarting. They like most people in Japan understand that another Fukushima could destroy the entire country. Despite this the reactionary Abe government continues to demand that families and children return to Fukushima and that Japan become a militarized power. They recently welcomed the nuclear carrier Ronald Reagan to land in Japan.
This is not just an issue for Japan but the entire world. The militarization and new war constitution that Abe has pushed through against the opposition of the majority of people is a threat to the world. They are also pushing ahead with a new US base in Okinawa that is opposed by the most of the people of Okinawa and the governor. The Abe government is now opposed by more and more people and it is time to join together against these policies.
We urge to come and speak out and for your organization to join us to stand up against nukes and against militarization and war.

Sponsored by
No Nukes Action Committee
http://nonukesaction.wordpress.com/
For information call (510) 495-5952

Fukushima: the First Cancers Emerge
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/10/23/fukushima-the-first-cancers-emerge/
OCTOBER 23, 2015
Fukushima: the First Cancers Emerge
by OLIVER TICKELL






The Japanese government has made its first admission that a worker at the Fukushima nuclear plant developed cancer as a following decontamination work after the 2011 disaster.

The man worked at the damaged plant for over a year, during which he was exposed to 19.8 millisieverts of radiation, four times the Japanese exposure limit. He is suffering from leukemia.

The former Fukushima manager Masao Yoshida also contracted cancer of the oesophagus after the disaster and died in 2013 – but the owner and operator of the nuclear plant, Tepco, refused to accept responsibility, insisting that the cancer developed too quickly.

Three other Fukushima workers have also contracted cancer but have yet to have their cases assessed.

The Fukushima nudear disaster followed the tsunami of 11 March 2011. Three out of four reactors on the site melted down, clouds of deadly radiation were released following a hydrogen explosion, and the nuclear fuel appears to have melted through the steel reactor vessels and sunk into, or through, the concrete foundations.

The tip of an iceberg

But that single ‘official’ cancer case is just the beginning. New scientific research indicates that hundreds more cancers have been and will be contracted in the local population.

A 30-fold excess of thyroid cancer has been detected among over 400,000 young people below the age of 18 from the Fukushima area.

According to the scientists, “The highest incidence rate ratio, using a latency period of 4 years, was observed in the central middle district of the prefecture compared with the Japanese annual incidence.”

In a first screening for thyroid cancer among 298,577 young people four years after the disaster, thyroid cancer occurred 50 times more among those in the most heavily irradiated areas, than in the general population, at a rate of 605 per million examinees.

In a second screening round of 106,068 young people conducted in April 2014 in less irradiated parts of the prefecture, the cancer was 12 times more common than for the main population.

Thyroid cancer is commonly developed as a result of acute exposure to radioactive iodine 131, a product of nuclear fission. Because iodine concentrates in the thyroid gland, thyroid damage including cancer is a characteristic marker of exposure to nuclear fallout.

Exposure to iodine-131 presents a high risk in the immediate aftermath of a nuclear accident owing to its short half life of 8 days, making it intensely radioactive. It is estimated to have made up about 9.1% of the radioactive material released at Fukushima.

There’s many more cases on the way!

The paper’s authors note that the incidence of thyroid cancer is high by comparison with the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 at the same time following exposure – and warn that many more cases are likely to emerge:

“In conclusion, among those ages 18 years and younger in 2011 in Fukushima Prefecture, approximately 30-fold excesses in external comparisons and variability in internal comparisons on thyroid cancer detection were observed in Fukushima Prefecture within as few as 4 years after the Fukushima power plant accident. The result was unlikely to be fully explained by the screening effect.

“In Chernobyl, excesses of thyroid cancer became more remarkable 4 or 5 years after the accident in Belarus and Ukraine, so the observed excess alerts us to prepare for more potential cases within a few years.”

Scientific studies of Chernobyl victims have also found that the risk of developing thyroid cancer has a long, fat tail – in other words, there is no significant fall in risk over time among people exposed to iodine-131.

According the the US’s National Cancer Institute, summarising the findings in 2011,

“The researchers found no evidence, during the study time period, to indicate that the increased cancer risk to those who lived in the area at the time of the accident is decreasing over time.

“However, a separate, previous analysis of atomic bomb survivors and medically irradiated individuals found cancer risk began to decline about 30 years after exposure, but was still elevated 40 years later. The researchers believe that continued follow-up of the participants in the current study will be necessary to determine when an eventual decline in risk is likely to occur.”

Did WHO underestimate the Fukushima radiation release?

The authors of the Fukushima study also suggest that the amount of radiation released may, in fact, have been more that the World Health Organisation’s and other official estimates:

“Furthermore, we could infer a possibility that exposure doses for residents were higher than the official report or the dose estimation by the World Health Organization, because the number of thyroid cancer cases grew faster than predicted in the World Health Organization’s health assessment report.”

Another consideration – which the authors do not enter into – is the effect of the other radioactive species emitted in the accident including 17.5% Caesium-137 and 38.5% Caesium 134. These longer-lived beta-emitters (30 years and two years respectively) present a major long term hazard as the element is closely related to potassium and readily absorbed into biomass and food crops.

Yet another radiation hazard arises from long lived alpha emitters like plutonium 239 (half life 24,100 years) which is hard to detect. Even tiny nano-scale specks of inhaled plutonium entering the lungs and lymphatic system can cause cancer decades after the event by continuously ‘burning’ surrounding tissues and cells.

The paper: ‘Thyroid cancer detection by ultrasound among residents aged 18 years and under in Fukushima, Japan: 2011 to 2014‘ is published in Epidemiology.

Oliver Tickell edits The Ecologist, where this article originally appeared.

Japan Ehime governor urges Ikata nuke plant operator to enhance safety measures
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20151026p2a00m0na022000c.html

<20151026p2a00m0na020000p_size6.jpg>
Ehime Gov. Tokihiro Nakamura explains safety measures after giving consent to the reactivation of the No. 3 reactor at the Ikata nuclear power plant, at the Ehime Prefectural Government office in Matsuyama on Oct. 26, 2015. (Mainichi)
Click to enlarge
MATSUYAMA, Ehime -- Gov. Tokihiro Nakamura handed a nine-point request to Shikoku Electric Power Co. President Hayato Saeki at the former's office on Oct. 26, urging the utility to enhance safety measures in restarting the No. 3 reactor at the Ikata nuclear power plant.

The governor announced his approval for the reactivation of the No. 3 reactor at the Ikata plant in Ikata, Ehime Prefecture, the same day, amid angry protests by anti-nuclear groups near the prefectural government office, who said that procedures by local authorities were carried forward on the premise that the reactor would be restarted regardless.

President Saeki was seen standing still as he waited for the governor at the reception room of the prefectural government office. When the governor entered the room at around 9:30 a.m., a strained Saeki bowed twice, and the two sat down amid camera flashes.

"Today, as governor of Ehime Prefecture, I decided to accept advance consultations (over the reactivation) after making a comprehensive judgment based on the national government's views, Shikoku Electric Power Co.'s approach, and discussions among locals," Gov. Nakamura said.

<20151026p2a00m0na021000p_size6.jpg>
Citizens stage protests ahead of the Ehime governor's announcement approving the reactivation of the Ikata nuclear plant, in front of the Ehime Prefectural Government office in Matsuyama on Oct. 26, 2015. (Mainichi)
Click to enlarge
In response, President Saeki said, "I express my sincere gratitude for your acceptance of advance consultations over the No. 3 reactor at the Ikata plant today. I will make sure that all staff in our nuclear power division and myself will firmly take the nine-point request to heart and observe and implement the measures with absolute certainty."

The meeting ended in around 10 minutes.

At a press conference following the meeting, Gov. Nakamura explained the process leading up to his approval of the reactor's restart. Using panels, the governor said, "I managed to make every request imaginable to the national government and Shikoku Electric Power Co." Asked if he would stake his own post in the event a severe nuclear accident occurs, Nakamura replied, "Of course."

In front of the prefectural government building, about 40 people staged a protest against the reactivation for about 1 1/2 hours from around 8 a.m., urging Gov. Nakamura not to accept the reactor's restart.

"The governor had kept saying he was undecided over a decision on reactivation, but in fact he considered no alternatives," said Tsukasa Wada, 63, deputy secretary-general of the citizens group "Ikata genpatsu o tomeru kai" (Association to stop Ikata nuclear plant) based in Matsuyama.

<20151026p2a00m0na024000p_size6.jpg>
Click to enlarge
"Even if the governor gives consent to reactor restarts, I want to continue my protest and see the decision overturned," said Yuri Gekyo, 66, a member of Green Citizens Network Kochi, who joined the protest after leaving her home in the city of Kochi in neighboring Kochi Prefecture at 5 a.m.

Meanwhile, Ikata Mayor Kazuhiko Yamashita met Shikoku Electric Power Co. Executive Vice President and Nuclear Power Division Manager Kazutaka Kakinoki at the Ikata Municipal Office, and handed him written approval after demanding thorough implementation of measures to prevent nuclear accidents. "We will continue tireless efforts to ensure safety," Kakinoki said.

Following the meeting, Mayor Yamashita told reporters, "It was a tough decision. I will give instructions to Shikoku Electric Power Co. so that there will be no accident like the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant disaster."

In the town of Ikata, residents showed mixed reactions to the governor's approval of reactivation. "There are no jobs available in this town, and the approval for reactivation is good news especially for young people. I want the nuclear plant to be operated carefully so that there will be no accidents," said a 72-year-old proprietress of a private inn.

Mitsuko Isozaki, a 70-year-old housewife, said, "There's no guarantee a serious accident like the Fukushima disaster won't happen. It is regrettable that the governor has given consent to reactivation."

Click here for Japanese article
October 26, 2015 (Mainichi Japan)

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Japan Says Fukushima Nuclear Plant Worker Diagnosed With Cancer
Construction worker’s leukemia could have been caused by radiation exposure
http://www.wsj.com/articles/japan-says-fukushima-nuclear-plant-worker-diagnosed-with-cancer-1445333714
Storage tanks of contaminated water are seen at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Oct. 9. PHOTO: EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY
By MITSURU OBE
Updated Oct. 20, 2015 11:44 a.m. ET

TOKYO—A construction worker at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has cancer that could have been caused by radiation exposure, the government said Tuesday in announcing the first compensation award to be granted in such a case.

The man, who wasn’t identified, was diagnosed while in his late 30s with leukemia, the Health and Labor Ministry said. His current age and condition weren’t disclosed, but the ministry said he is receiving outpatient treatment.

The man worked at the Fukushima plant for 18 months from 2011 to 2013, starting after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which triggered three nuclear meltdowns. He is the first worker at the plant to receive compensation after developing cancer, although the ministry said a definitive connection hasn’t been established.

Seven other workers at the site who have been diagnosed with cancer had applied for compensation. Three were denied and three applications are pending. One worker withdrew an application. An expert panel under the ministry reviews the applications.

A spokeswoman for Tokyo Electric Power Co., which owns and operates the plant, declined to comment “on an action taken by the government.” There wasn’t any comment from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s office.

News of his diagnosis comes just weeks after the restarting of a second nuclear reactor in Japan, even as court battles continue between plant operators and opponents of restarts. The first was restarted in August.

All of the country’s reactors were taken offline in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, the country’s worst, as the government developed more stringent safety standards.

More than 44,000 people have been employed at the Fukushima plant since the disaster, in capacities ranging from construction worker to engineer, as part of a cleanup and decommissioning effort that is expected to take decades, according to Tepco.

Of them, 15,408 have been exposed to radiation exceeding 10 millisieverts, Tepco says. Most of the exposure has occurred near the damaged reactor buildings, the official said, where workers have been removing spent nuclear fuel stored at the top of these buildings.

On average, people are exposed to 2.4 millisieverts of radiation a year during daily life, according to the U.N. The ministry said it is difficult to prove a link between cancer and radiation exposure of less than 100 millisieverts a year.

The man awarded compensation was exposed to a total of 15.7 millisieverts of radiation through his work at the plant, the ministry said. He also worked at other nuclear plants, bringing his total exposure to 19.8 millisieverts, it said.

He did construction work at Fukushima, including building covers for damaged reactor buildings and an incinerator for low-level radioactive waste, the ministry said.

The government and Tepco also face lawsuits from Fukushima residents demanding compensation for losses caused by the meltdown at the plant. About 71,000 residents of Fukushima prefecture are still unable to return to their homes because of high levels of radiation.

Researchers have found high rates of thyroid cancer among childrenand adolescents in Fukushima prefecture, but disagree about whether that is the result of radiation exposure or more rigorous testing. Some people with thyroid cancer don’t have symptoms.

A total of 104 young people have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, according to the Fukushima prefectural government.

Write to Mitsuru Obe at mitsuru.obe [at] wsj.com


Fukushima Watch: Early Data on Thyroid Cancer Released
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2014/08/25/fukushima-watch-early-data-on-thyroid-cancer-released/
5:47 pm JST
Aug 25, 2014 FUKUSHIMA WATCH
Fukushima Watch: Early Data on Thyroid Cancer Released

• By


• JUN HONGO


Children in Fukushima prefecture are being checked for thyroid cancer. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
A study by researchers in Fukushima prefecture found 57 minors in the prefecture have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer so far and another 46 are showing symptoms that suggest they may also have the disease.

Thyroid cancer can be caused by exposure to radiation, but it’s unclear whether the number is linked to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in March 2011 because the rate of thyroid cancer in the general population isn’t fully known.

“There is a possibility that early-stage cancer and small tumors were discovered because experienced doctors conducted thorough checkups using the newest machinery,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday at a regular news conference. The cabinet’s top spokesman said the government would keep a close eye on developments.

Fukushima prefecture has been conducting regular checkups of 367,707 people who were in Fukushima in March 2011 and were age 18 or under when the nuclear crisis struck. Approximately 296,000 have already been tested for thyroid cancer.

Of those, the prefecture said that 104 showed signs of thyroid cancer, of whom 36 were males and 68 were females. As of June, 58 of them had undergone surgery and all but one received a definite diagnosis of thyroid gland cancer. The size of tumors varied from 5.1 millimeters to 40.5 millimeters, according to the prefecture. All of those who underwent surgery are recovering smoothly, the prefecture said.

According to the American Thyroid Association, thyroid cancer is “usually very treatable and is often cured with surgery and, if indicated, radioactive iodine.”

The research found there was no regional difference between areas close to the nuclear power plant and those farther away. The percentage of those found to have thyroid cancer in the town of Okuma near the plant and the town of Inawashiro, located approximately 100 kilometers to the west, was 0.05% in each case.

It is difficult to determine whether that percentage is unusually high, since detailed research on this scale hasn’t taken place elsewhere. It is possible that a similar rate of thyroid cancer would be found in children who don’t live near a nuclear-power plant if all those children were examined.

Some medical experts have said that cases of thyroid cancer started to increase in Chernobyl only several years after the nuclear disaster there in 1986, suggesting it may be too soon to reach conclusions about Fukushima.

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