I wonder what the Chinese are going to do now, considering their growth and plans to build quite a few plants themselves. They are also quite earthquake-prone and I have a feeling their safety standards may not meet those of more industrialized countries if their coal mining industry is shown as an example....

low safety standards
 

So, let American engineers help them to improve design....

Tokyo update: One month after the quake
 

Just a heads up that everything is all and well here. I know there has been a lot of news about the new aftershocks happening. They happened and everyone in the Tokyo area was fine. They will continue, but do realize that they have been nothing serious (in this area) and we are often warned by earthquake alerts on our cell phones (see the picture). There's also been a lot of news about the power plants being upgraded to level 7. Realize that nothing has changed; it's just something that they figure they should do and it doesn't affect the Tokyo area as of yet.

As for transportation, students and teachers alike have been late to class because of some train delays after the major aftershocks. Note that they were late but still showed up eventually. Therefore, trains will often be delayed (by about 20 minutes) following an aftershock, but rarely cancelled. What is being cancelled are the bullet trains heading up North... so please be aware of them. Also, note that trains are also being delayed because of the wind. Wind on coasts of Japan delay trains :)

On a brighter note, Tokyo Disneyland opened back up today so prepared to welcome back the hoards of park goers and their mountain of souvenirs. Beware the Keiyo Line bound for Chiba prefecture!

Tam

https://tamdoesjapan.wordpress.com/

Life in Japan
 

Good blog, interesting pictures and nice sense of humour!:) Thanks for info, Tam;)

US Government downgrades travel warning status for its citizens:

Japan Travel Alert

best,

.............john

i have like 5 friends that graduated from the school you teach at :o and i know a former teacher there :ywave:

the possible impact on environment
 

Radioactivity in water dumped from Fukushima plant lower than thought

TOKYO, April 16, Kyodo

The total level of radioactive materials in water dumped in the sea from the crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture earlier this month was lower than previously estimated, the plant's operator reported to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency on Friday.

Receiving the report, the agency instructed Tokyo Electric Power Co. to study in more detail the impact on the marine environment of the move, including radiation levels in fish and clams, and to make the results public.

As the nation's worst nuclear crisis drags on more than a month after it was triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, small amounts of plutonium have been detected for the third time in soil samples taken at the six-reactor Fukushima Daiichi complex, the plant operator said.

Also Friday, the operator, known as TEPCO, said it will pay up to 1 million yen to each of the roughly 50,000 households within 30 kilometers of the plant whose residents have been forced to evacuate their homes or remain indoors, as provisional compensation for the damage caused by the crisis.

TEPCO reported to the safety agency that it had released 10,393 tons of water containing a total of 150 billion bequerels of radioactive materials from the plant into the Pacific Ocean between April 4 and 10.

The operator, which earlier projected that the readings could reach 170 billion bequerels, said it had not detected any substantial changes in the levels of radioactive materials in seawater sampled off the plant's shore and farther offshore since the release.

The release of contaminated water sparked concern among such countries as China, South Korea and Russia over the possible impact on marine life and the environment, with Seoul complaining that it had not been notified in advance.

TEPCO dismissed the view that its latest release of contaminated water could pose an immediate risk to health, saying the level of radiation a person would be exposed to by eating seafood caught in nearby waters every day for a year would amount to 0.6 millisievert, which is still lower than the annual exposure limit of 1 millisievert for ordinary people.

But the water release angered local fishermen. TEPCO, which reported the findings to fisheries cooperatives in Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures on Friday, said it was strongly warned by cooperative officials not to repeat the intentional dumping.

Rest of article

level of radioactive substances
 

Kyodo News

Kyodo News

"The accumulated levels during the period starting March 23 stood at 9,850 microsieverts in Iitate and 495 microsieverts in Minamisoma, both near the plant, it said. The readings compare with the level of 1,000 microsieverts that ordinary people in Japan can expect to be exposed to over one year."


If I am reading what they are meaning about "accumulated levels" correctly (as in "accumulated dosage"), that means that if a person stood outside 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the total period from March 23 until April 16th (25 days ..... 600 hours), they'd receive a dosage of about 0.985 miliSieverts and 0.0496 miliSieverts respectively.

Taking out a typical normal background radiation dose of about 0.03 microSieverts per hour for that period (0.03 x 600 = 18) that leaves total dosages of 0.9832 and 0.477 miliSieverts respectively.

The allowable radiation dosage for a nuclear plant worker for a year (assuming a multi-year lifetime career path) is 50 miliSieverts. So the worst case number quoted there is just under 1/50th of the routinely allowable yearly dosage for someone to work (for their whole career) as a power plant worker.

IF the radiation levels there remain exactly the same for a whole year more (and over that roughkly one month timeframe measure above they have been decreasing), then a person who was standing outside 24/7 for the whole year (yeah right!) would hit about 11.798 miliSieverts total accumulated dosage. In rough numbers, about 1/4 of the allowable limits.

Now even going about a normal every day life...... you aren't standing outside in the open for 24/7. Lots of time is spent indoors and in trains, subways, and cars. So that above number is likely pretty darn high.... probably by about a minimum of 1/3. So the worst case is probably totaling more like 7.85 miliSieverts.

WAY over the typical 1 miliSievert per annum that the average person is normally exposed to........

BUT.........


Just sayin'.

best,

..............john

"The accumulated radiation level in Namie, 30 kilometers from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, in the three weeks through Friday stood at 17,010 microsieverts, according to a tally released by the science ministry Saturday."

So they are saying 3 weeks in this above case. So that is 17.01 miliSieverts in 3 weeks for a 24/7 exposure, or 5.67 per week. Times 52 weeks....... that comes to 294.84 miliSieverts. Take off the idea of 1/3 for indoor stuff... and a more "normal day lifestyle" there would be more like something on the order of 196 miliSieverts.

THAT is why they are looking at evaculating that town. There is REAL concern there.

Of course how much of that accumulated dosage came form Iodine... with a half-life of 8 days.... needs to be considered in the long term prognosis also.

best,

.............john