Union of Concerned Scientists: "Japan: Squandering the Chance for Orderly Evacuation"....

[Junkdrawer]

Given the large amount of radioactivity that could be released from the damaged reactors and spent-fuel pools at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi facility, the Japanese government was wise to evacuate residents within a 12 mile (20 kilometer) radius of the reactor site.

Unfortunately, the crisis in not over. Given the uncertainty over future releases, we believe Japan should extend that evacuation zone.

On March 16, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission advised US citizens within a 50 mile radius around the site to evacuate. Despite the US advisory, the Japanese government is still maintaining its current order, which is evacuation only to a distance of 12 miles, and “shelter in place” for those between 12 and about 18 miles from the reactor site. “Shelter in place” means that people are directed to stay indoors and seal their windows and doors.

Our assessment is that the Japanese government is squandering the opportunity to initiate an orderly evacuation from larger areas around the site–especially of sensitive populations, like children and pregnant women. It is potentially wasting valuable time by not undertaking a larger scale evacuation at this time.

http://allthingsnuclear.org/post/4044685587/japan-squandering-the-chance-for-orderly-evacuation#

Once again: The Union of Concerned Scientists is neither Pro-Nuke nor Anti-Nuke. They are industry watchdogs that advocate for safety GIVEN nuclear plants will be built. And when they issue warnings like this, informed people should listen.

[tekisui]

1. knr. Too busy putting on a positive face to deal with the reality.

[sad sally]

7. I have a hunch if a similar situation was happening in the US - say at

Indian Point in NY - we'd be dragging our feet too. Where would 20,000,000 people be relocated to?

[Poll_Blind]

2. This is a good point- the more foot-dragging that goes on, the smaller the window...

...to evacuate, should it become immediately necessary. Why not do it in stages, starting with those most susceptible to the radiation?

Where are they going to go? Shit, is it just out of the question to declare something like martial law, commandeer resources to feed people after moving them to Osaka? If Japan says "We need food and water, immediately- and we need it in Osaka" (or whatever the nearest port is to someplace like Osaka) they can at least implement some kind of half-assed mass evacuation from Tokyo to someplace safer. Shelter, I don't know about. But, hell, if you need to get the people out of Tokyo- and you want to bad enough- you can start moving them now. Subsidize it, do whatever.

Save your childen today, Japan. Without them there won't be a tomorrow!

PB

[jimlup]

3. I strongly agree here

[Junkdrawer]

4. Japan may not be able to afford to tell their people the truth....

Atomic Cleanup Cost Goes to Japan's Taxpayers, May Spur Liability Shift

Japan’s taxpayer, not the nuclear industry or insurers, will cover most of the cleanup cost from the worst accident since Chernobyl, a financial rescue that may spur moves by nations to make companies assume more liability.

Tokyo Electric Power Co., in its 13th day fighting to avert a meltdown at its Fukushima plant 220 kilometers (135 miles) north of Tokyo, at most is required to cover third-party damages of 120 billion yen ($2.1 billion) under Japanese law. Should the government declare the magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami that flooded its reactors an “exceptional” act of God, the utility may be off the hook in paying compensation that may be demanded by injured workers, farmers and shareholders.

...

The Japanese government may pay as much as 1 trillion yen to compensate businesses and individuals for damages from the nuclear accident, or eight times the maximum cost for Tokyo Electric, the Tokyo Shimbun reported on March 12, without saying where it got the information


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-23/nuclear-cleanup-cost-goes-to-japan-s-taxpayers-may-spur-liability-shift.html

Imagine if today's Evacuation Zone is tomorrow's Permanent Relocation Zone.

[DeSwiss]

5. I have a great deal of respect....

...for the Union of Concerned Scientists. Their http://www.ucsusa.org/">website has been one of my favorites over the years in providing information about alternative sources of energy. As well as providing informed and objective information about the current energy problems we have, rather than the tainted and biased reviews of those who are a part of industry-based financially-driven agenda scientific crowd, such as the climate change deniers or as we once received from those tobacco-doesn't-cause-disease charlatans of yesteryear. And don't even get me started on those traitors to the Hippocratic Oath who work for BIG PHARMA.

But I will say that while the Union of Concerned Scientists may not be, I am ANTI-NUKE. I think its the stupidest thing mankind has ever done other than actually making and using this radioactive poisonous shit in bombs. In balance it's little more than a primitive and testosterone-driven fantasy of "controlling" dangerous things. The ultimate "big gun" fetish. All for the simple purpose of making steam.

- The steam engine was invented over two centuries ago and you would think we could advance a little further away from this model by now.

K&R


NO MORE NUKES!!!

[Warpy]

6. They're doing there what officials here always do from day one

and that is standing around and mumbling bromides about not causing panic by increasing the evacuation zone.

Also, they probably have an infrastructure problem, where the hell to put the evacuees, most of whom will never be able to return home. Remember, we're likely talking about the far northern Tokyo suburbs here.

I know if I lived within 100 miles of that thing, I'd probably be finding shirttail relatives I could bunk with who were farther away.

[damntexdem]

11. Standing around and mumbling radioactive bromides.

How many thousands of square miles will become unlivable for how long?

[City Lights]

8. I wonder how long people can "shelter in place" before their food/water supply runs out.

What then?

[Mojeoux]

9. Why don't they bury it like Chernobyl?

They bombbarded their reactors with mud and cement.

[barbtries]

16. from what i understand

they're too hot for that as yet.

[Statistical]

20. Burying Chernobyl wasn't the best option.... it actually was a horrible option.

It ensured that forever Chernobyl could never be cleaned up and would leach radioactive material into the soil, water, and air for centuries.

However at Chernobyl with no containment and a molten, burning core directly exposed to the air and radiation levels nearly 150,000x higher than in Japan there was not other option.

They did it not because it was a good choice but because they had no other choice and in doing so reduced the amount of material released.

[damntexdem]

10. What chance for an orderly evacuation? The evacuation of Tokyo?

The pooch has really been screwed on this one.

[FLPanhandle]

12. The Japanese are pretty connected to the world

I'm surprised more aren't "self evacuating" before the offical announcement.

[KT2000]

13. I bet some are

A physicist on Letterman Monday said his family had left the country. I will bet those with the means are leaving or at least considering it. Of course the regular people who cannot afford it will be left.

[bengalherder]

14. Totally anecdotal

but a fellow who posts on another board I go to lives in a primarily Japanese neighborhood near LA. He said there sees to be more people there (in stores and streets) than usual and thought perhaps some Japanese were coming to stay with American relatives.

[barbtries]

17. wouldn't surprise me

i would think that most people if they have the means would be putting as much distance as possible between themselves and this disaster.

[cutlassmama]

15. The great culling of the masses. Perhaps the governments aren't that

concerned with people dying?

[bananas]

18. k&r nt

[brooklynite]

19. I hadn't thought about the "shelter in place" guidance before, but...

...in the United States, emergency agencies want the public to be able to shelter in place, with enought food, water, medice etc. for three days. The shelter order in Japan in now approaching a week; what are the odds people still have supplies on hand, and won't have to go outside to restock(assuming they have fuel for their car and stores with supplies)?