Japan's Nuclear Safety Agency Regards Radioactive Water Leaks to the Ocean as "Zero." 東京新聞記事「保安院 海への汚染水、ゼロ扱い」英訳

東京新聞独自の取材によるこの記事は非常に深刻な内容であり、海水汚染の問題であることから当然世界の問題であるし、現在世界中のメディアからも「冷温停止宣言」に対する疑問の声が上がっている（下記英文解説の最後のリンクを参照）ことから、急きょ英訳しました。海外に広めるために使ってください。@PeacePhilosophy

(１２月２０日追記： The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus にも掲載されました。See The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus
Japan Nuclear Safety Agency: Radioactive Water Leaks to the Ocean 'Zero'
Translated by Satoko Norimatsu/Introduction by Satoko Norimatsu and Matthew Penney)

Tokyo Shimbun, a bloc newspaper in Tokyo, which many regard as one of the few newspapers in Japan that honestly report what is going on at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, ran an important, and serious article yesterday, with their own investigative interview with NISA, Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, a division of METI, Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. Here is a quick translation of the report. This is a critical article that calls for further investigation, particularly in the wake of Japan's PM Noda's "Cold Shutdown" declaration, to which questions have been raised by experts and international media (See New York Times, Bloomberg, CNN, Xinhua) @PeacePhilosophy

Tokyo Shimbun report

Japan's Nuclear Safety Agency Regards Radioactive Water Leaks to the Ocean as "Zero."

Original article in Japanese at: http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/s/article/2011121690070643.html (at the time of the retrieval, but later on the news moved to a new link:
http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/national/news/CK2011121602000186.html)


December 16, 2011

According to Tokyo Shimbun's interview with NISA (Nuclear and Industrical Safety Agency), the agency has regarded the radioactive water leaks from the Fukushima Daiichi reactors as "zero" in their legal term, for the reason that it is a "state of emergency." They plan to continue to regard any future leak or intentional release as "zero." The Japanese government plans to announce "cold shutdown" on December 16, but it is a questionable attitude for the government to neglect one of their criteria of "cold shutdown," which is "radioactive release being under control."

According to law, electric companies are required to set the maximum amount of total radioactive release into the ocean per year for each nuclear power plant. That amount for Fukushima Daiichi is 220 billion becquerels (Cesiums, etc), and when the year changes, they reset to "zero."

On April 2, highly radioactive water was found leaking from Reactor No.2, and on April 4, TEPCO intentionally released radioactive water with lower contamination into the ocean, in order to make room to store more contaminated water.

With these two incidents only, the amount of radioactive release outside of the nuclear plant is 4,700 tera-becquerels (according to TEPCO estimate), 20,000 times of the allowable limit.

This TEPCO estimate has been criticized by experts in and outside of Japan as "underestimation."

On December 4, water contaminated with 26 billion becquerels of radioactive Strontium leaked into the ocean from the equipment that vaporizes and condenses processed contaminated water.

It is estimated that the tanks to store processed contaminated water within the plant will be full by early next year. Water stored in those tanks contain radioactive Strontium too. TEPCO has been considering further cleansing the water and releasing into the ocean. With opposition by fishery organizations, they have decided to postpone it.

NISA, in the interview with Tokyo Shimbun, emphasized the fact that their priority has been dealing with the  accident, and the damage at the Fukushima Daiichi plant was a "state of emergency," one in which radioactive leaks could not be prevented. That was their reason for not applying the maximum allowable total amount of radioactive release and regarding the leak of 4,7000 tera-becquerels of radioactive material as "zero."

NISA has stated this special treatment due to the "state of emergency" may continue until "the accident is brought under control," but they are ambiguous on when that exactly will be , saying it is a "matter to be discussed."

NISA has said that even when (TEPCO) releases radioactive water into the water, they will continue to regard the release as "zero."

Tokyo Shimbun


東京新聞　１２月１６日

保安院　海への汚染水、ゼロ扱い
http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/national/news/CK2011121602000186.html （１２月１９日見たらこちらにリンクが移動　http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/national/news/CK2011121602000186.html）

福島第一原発事故で、何度も放射性物質を含む汚染水が海に漏出したが、経済産業省原子力安全・保安院は「緊急事態」を理由に、法的には流出量は「ゼロ」と扱ってきたことが本紙の取材で分かった。今後、漏出や意図的な放出があってもゼロ扱いするという。政府は十六日に「冷温停止状態」を宣言する予定だが、重要な条件である放射性物質の放出抑制をないがしろにするような姿勢は疑念を持たれる。　

　原子炉等規制法により、電力事業者は、原発ごとに海に出る放射性物質の上限量を定めるよう決められている（総量規制）。福島第一の場合、セシウムなどは年間二二〇〇億ベクレルで、年度が変わるとゼロから計算される。

　しかし、四月二日に２号機取水口近くで高濃度汚染水が漏出しているのが見つかり、同四日には汚染水の保管場所を確保するため、東京電力は建屋内のタンクに入っていた低濃度汚染水を意図的に海洋に放出した。

　これら二件の漏出と放出だけで、原発外に出た放射性物質の総量は四七〇〇兆ベクレル（東電の試算）に達し、既に上限値の二万倍を超える。

　試算に対しては、国内外の研究機関から「過小評価」との異論も出ている。

　今月四日には、処理済みの汚染水を蒸発濃縮させる装置から、二六〇億ベクレルの放射性ストロンチウムを含む水が海に漏れ出した。

　さらには、敷地内に設置した処理水タンクが来年前半にも満杯になる見込み。この水にもストロンチウムが含まれている。東電はできるだけ浄化して海洋放出することを検討している。漁業団体の抗議を受け、当面は放出を見送る方針だ。

　保安院は本紙の取材に対し、事故への対応が最優先で、福島第一は損傷で漏出を止められる状態にない「緊急事態」だった点を強調し、総量規制を適用せず、四七〇〇兆ベクレルの漏出をゼロ扱いする理由を説明した。

　「緊急事態」に伴う特例扱いは「事故収束まで」続くとも説明したが、具体的な期間は「これからの議論」とあいまい。

　今後、仮に放射性物質を含んだ処理水を放出したとしても、ゼロ扱いを続けるという。