Decontamination in Date City

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Decontamination in Date City"

Dominic Gordon
6 years ago
Views:

1 Decontamination in Date City Fukushima City Lake Inawashiro Date City Fukushima Prefecture Date City, Takahiro Hanzawa 1

2 Removal of school yard surface soil Tominari Kindergarten 3.96 μsv/h 0.91 μsv/h (50 cm height) Oguni Primary School 5.35 μsv/h 0.88 μsv/h (50 cm height) 2

Retained water collecting drainpipes Leakage liquid balancing tank (Radioactivity monitoring) Underground water collecting drainpipes Water shielding sheet Bentnite Radioactivity monitoring well

3 Decontamination waste from Tominari Primary School Decontamination waste from school yard Under the supervision of Dr. Tanaka, Date City planned an interim storage facility (controlled temporary storage site) at an early stage. Retained water collecting drainpipes Leakage liquid balancing tank (Radioactivity monitoring) Underground water collecting drainpipes Water shielding sheet Bentnite Radioactivity monitoring well -Cesium propagation in bentnite in 300 years will be 0.1mm. Cesium can be confined with a bentnite layer of several millimeter thickness -Cs-137 in the waste water is continuously monitored. -When the Cs-137 concentration in the waste water exceeds the standard, the water is processed with a zeolite adsorption tower. -The radiation would be μSv/h or lower with the covering soil of 100cm thickness. 3

House decontamination experiment in specific evaluation recommendation area (Shimo Oguni area,

volunteers Start positively before the completion of the guideline! Decontamination guideline Dec.

7 Surface, Garden and paved area 0.6-4.3 0.4-3.1 (Gulley: 30.0 1.7 13.3 1.

4 House decontamination experiment in specific evaluation recommendation area (Shimo Oguni area, Ryozan-cho) with a total of 150 workers July 22-24, 2011 Removal of garden plants with support of volunteers Start positively before the completion of the guideline! Decontamination guideline Dec Ministry of the Environment Due to high dose on the ground beneath the roof gutter, the soil was removed with the dose being monitored. Blasting for paved area Decontamination points Before After [Unit: μsv/h] Surface, Entrance Surface, Garden and paved area (Gulley: ) Surface, Back side of house Surface, East side of house (Beneath roof gutter: ) 1m 1F (Entrance ) 1m 2F Bedroom Removal of sludge from gulley 4

5 Why Date City managed to make decontamination early? 1. Early recognized that a fundamental measure was the decontamination. Evacuation is a temporary measure, not a fundamental one. Recover the safe life. = Decontamination of entire city! 2. Mayer s decision and cash reserves (financial adjustment) No hesitation because we can charge the cost to TEPCO at some stage. 3. Rough decision Decision made even without laws or guidelines! 4. Supervision of the decontamination, adviser Dr. Shun-ichi Tanaka 5. Decision of responsible actions of the city We did not request the government and TEPCO should join the city briefing. 5

6 Going back and forth between scientific and mental issues Decontamination not in progress Distrust against the central government and public administration Adequateness of the criterion 20mSv/year. Always changing Not scientific Barrier made by the government Fixes an image. Always discussing safety and danger. Pursuit of responsibilities: TEPCO and the central government should do it! Strong opposition against temporary storage sites Sense of victimization Why does the city have to handle the decontamination and temporary storage sites? Opposition! Very dangerous facilities? Lack of correct understanding of the radioactivity and decontamination. Briefing held 100 times: Atmosphere of three years ago! But still misunderstood. 6

7 2011 Decontamination Works Possible! I study decontamination OK! This has effect. I explained decontamination to local residents. But local residents become anxious. Not try to decontamination. Whay? May be understand Anger Anxious Ignorance Anger Anxious Mental Science Explain The fact Knowledge Unrealistic decontamination request Perfection Very dangerous!? Equality This is not science! Escalating demands Request the same way Way we must do it! Responsibility to goverment and TEPCO. No, temporary storage site. Impossible? 7

8 I change my explanation Use beads, visualization Cesium is invisible 8

9 Beads = Cesium handmade Cesium put in the flexible container, safe if you put in the distance. 9

10 Afraid, if lion in leaving loose! Dangerous! Lions = Big radiation 10

11 Live in peace, put in the cage Cesium is made to safety if the management! 11

12 Temporary storage sites now available! -Early action: Briefing started in July Seriously faced the citizens. -No easy compromise (no storage at houses) -Consent and cooperation of the citizens! -Creation of the first site (in Oct. 2011) gave an impact. -People was relieved when looking at the site. Acceleration of creating temporary storage sites. With patience Decontamination can be made if we can find a temporary storage site The residents subjectively think about decontamination. Not forced by the public administration. No persuasion to the residents. 12

13 Why can t we find places for temporary storage sites? -Because a place for interim storage facility cannot be found? Probably can t make temporary storage sites even if the carry-in process starts in It is not due to the interim storage facility problem. But anyway we need temporary storage sites! -Is temporary storage site dangerous? 100 times volume of waste soil of 10μSv/h gives 1000μSv/h!? The soil comes from the city area and house garden. Why is it dangerous? -Unnecessary ideas arising recently? There are several hectares of deserted cultivated land in the prefecture. Sense of urgency about decontamination has disappeared. Do we forget radioactivity around the houses? facility? No misunderstanding of Date citizens Is it an annoying 13

Decontamination history 1 FY2012 Temporary storage site The living areas are classified to areas A, B, and C for the decontamination. Area A High dose 5 areas incl.

14 Decontamination history 1 FY2012 Temporary storage site The living areas are classified to areas A, B, and C for the decontamination. Area A High dose 5 areas incl. specific evacuation recommendation: 4 general contractors. About 1.5 billion yen contract. 2,555 households: Decontamination was finish. Speed prioritized The roads, public facilities, factories, shrines, and temples are also decontaminated. No specific problem of agreement documents. High level of consent and satisfaction after the finish of the decontamination -Temporary storage sites: 50 sites of about 29ha are secured. Various dimensions. Mostly reserved by the communities. With the consent and cooperation of the citizens, the number of the sites needs to be reduced as much as possible. 14

After the monitoring, orders were placed mostly to in-city companies (for 25 areas) Target: 3,496 households -->Decontamination was

15 Decontamination history 2 FY2012, 2013 Area B Areas, adjacent to area A, with annual total dose 5mSv or higher Monitoring (about 0.6 billion yen) and decontamination are separately ordered. After the monitoring, orders were placed mostly to in-city companies (for 25 areas) Target: 3,496 households -->Decontamination was finished. The expense will be about 8.4 billion yen. There are still problems such as standards, methods, guidance to related companies, and consent of the residents. Temporary storage sites: 32 sites of about 17ha are ensured. 15

Decontamination history 3 Area C FY2013 Actually, lower than 1mSv Areas with annual total dose lower than 5mSv Target: About 15,000 households (about 70%) in town area.

16 Decontamination history 3 Area C FY2013 Actually, lower than 1mSv Areas with annual total dose lower than 5mSv Target: About 15,000 households (about 70%) in town area. -Promotion of decontamination in collaboration with citizens Dose measurement by neighborhood associations About 1 billion yen only for hot spots - Promotion of the use of Decontamination Promotion Center -Temporary storage sites: Four sites would be enough for each town Refusal to proposal of the sites!? Not necessary, unlike areas A and B. -How do we distribute safety over the community. Use of dosimeters. Residents Decontamination is not necessary. But now, Problem! No relation to radiation level, only do or not. Local residents has dissatisfaction, not anxious. 16

17 Decontamination Work (2012) Carry-in to the temporary storage site Development of temporary storage site Decontamination of swimming pool Decontamination of house 17

Future issues on decontamination 1 It has been three and half years

Decontamination for protection from radiation (health risk) is not

Promotion of correct understanding about decontamination No excess

Improvement and use of Decontamination Promotion Center Promotion

18 Future issues on decontamination 1 It has been three and half years since the accident. Decontamination for protection from radiation (health risk) is not necessary! Promotion of correct understanding about decontamination No excess decontamination necessary. No two-dimensional decontamination again. Improvement and use of Decontamination Promotion Center Promotion of voluntary decontamination by citizens We create our area by ourselves! Decontaminati on from now!? Returning to selfgovernment concept Removal of victim consciousness 18

Future issues on decontamination 2 Carry-in is scheduled to start in January 2015 -Can the interim storage facility be really developed? Three month later, After all, it can t is not allowed.

19 Future issues on decontamination 2 Carry-in is scheduled to start in January Can the interim storage facility be really developed? Three month later, After all, it can t is not allowed. Controlled facility at each local town needs to be considered. -Volume decrease and management of radioactive waste -Establishment of decontamination method for farm lands and mountain forests Necessity of incinerators. Problem of long-term control. -Now is the time to think about decontamination again. What should we do to promote decontamination and to finish decontamination? What is the decontamination for? Is it for the protection from radiation or for the environmental recovery? Recovery or destruction of the environment: Effect of endless decontamination Rights? Emerging of a new consciousness and collapse of local selfgovernment!? 19

20 Future issues on decontamination 3 Is the decontamination our purpose?! We have already lived three and half years but the decontamination starts now? The purpose is to reduce the health risk 1mSv What is decontamination made for? The dose has decreased to 50% for these two years. Already lower than When should the decontamination be made? Now Three years ago It should be made clear what the decontamination is made for. Decontamination of two years ago and that of today are different! Do you wear a sweater in summer? Decontamination does not necessarily mean soil removal, high pressure washing, or logging. Forced decontamination would cause Decontamination should be appropriate! another environmental damage (trade off) 20

21 Future issues on decontamination 4 -Viewpoint of protection against radioactivity: Decrease of total dose Radiation should be removed not at a point but over a surface, and not at a distant place but at a near place. Use of personal integrating dosimeters -Viewpoint of environmental recovery: Of course, less radiation is better. But -Mental decontamination: Cannot be measured scientifically. -What is important in future decontamination? But a large amount of waste Excessive decontamination will produce a new problem such as conflict among Risk communication is important for the safety and security. Decontamination to remove the anxiety of the citizens is important. Steady efforts in collaboration with the citizens are important. Hot spot decontamination 21

22 Future issues on decontamination 5 -What is the target of the decontamination? The government and the local governments set different targets. For their own convenience? For the request from the citizens? Who is responsible! Is the standard appropriate? It should not be 0.23! -Common sense of Japanese people is called into question Too much reliance on the standards set by the government (third party). -Meaning of ALARA law of ICRP Rational decrease of dose with social and economic factors taken into account Only debt to children and grandchildren? The problem is total cost of the decontamination! Decontamination needs a balance. Cost Decontamination as an alibi? Effect 22

6μSv/h (Below 1 msv/y?) Of curse, the waste soil is a problem. Subsidy for the area of 0.

23 Future issues on decontamination 6 Decontamination according to dose level Area A= 1.5 billion yen for 2,555 households: Dose at that time: msv/y Area B= 9 billion yen for 3,496 households: Around 5 msv/y (0.99μSv/h) Area C= 1 billion yen for 15,000 households: μSv/h (Below 1 msv/y?) Of curse, the waste soil is a problem. Subsidy for the area of 0.23μSv/h or higher Unwanted environmental problem but not for the area of lower dose Cost of decontamination of area C as done for area A: 80 billion yen!? Area C requires a few temporary storage sites but. In other towns and cities, uniform decontamination regardless of the dose level!? Actions taken only by Date City!? We saved 7.9 billion yen. But no incentive? Decontamination + Recovery = Package subsidy would make things faster at a lower cost! 23

24 Work on appropriate decontamination! -Decontamination will be performed according to the dose level Decontamination necessary for high-dose area! Cannot remove all. Rationality and schedule are important! No unreliable decontamination, no excessive decontamination, and no decontamination as an alibi No unreasonable or excessive decontamination -For the environmental recovery of our home town and for the mental decontamination -Many problems other than decontamination -Decontamination is a passport to the safety and recovery. Decontamination for the safety and security of the citizens! ~ Date won t give up ~ Decontamination of living areas was finish last year. 24

Entire radiation measurement map in Date City (Measured on Aug.

25 Entire radiation measurement map in Date City (Measured on Aug , 2011) Entire radiation measurement map in Date City (Measured on Jul , 2012) Entire radiation measurement map in Date City (Measured on Jul. 3-5, 2013) Aug About 5 months after the accident July 2012 About 1 year and 4 months after the accident July 2013 About 2 years and 4 months after the accident 25

Progress on Offsite Cleanup Efforts in Japan

Progress on Offsite Cleanup Efforts in Japan Takeshi SEKIYA Ministry of the Environment, Japan UK-Japan Annual Nuclear Dialogue, Oct. 4, 2012 1 Radioactive Pollution caused by the accident at Fukushima