RIKEN Nishina Center＇s Response to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster： Radiation Screening at Fukushima, How We Dealt with the Electrical Power Shortage and Other Hardships

A large magnitude-9.0 earthquake struck northeast Japan on March 11, 2011. Thirty minutes later, a tsunami reached Tokyo Electric Power Corporation （TEPCO）＇s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, and the emergency diesel generators submerged under water. Three units of the reactor experienced meltdown, and hydrogen explosions occurred at reactor houses. The RIKEN Nishina Center （RNC） contributed to the radiation screening effort by providing human resources, instruments, and transportation. The RNC also carried out extraction work and sample tests for soil contamination. Last summer, RIKEN was legally required to save 15% （equivalent to 3.3 MW） of its allocated electricity in its contract, making it extremely difficult to conduct experiments using accelerators. Accelerator operation was thus reduced to a minimum during the first half of the year. The RNC has a gas-turbine-based co-generation system （CGS） with an electrical capacity of 6.5 MW. The CGS was operated non-stop until the end of the year. RIKEN is constructing two sets of CGSs, each with a capacity of 1.5 MW to be commissioned this autumn.

Charting Disaster Recovery via Google Street View: A Social Science Perspective on Challenges Raised by the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

There is increasing interest in using Google Street View(GSV) for research purposes, particularly with regard to ‘‘virtually auditing'' the built environment to assess environmental quality. Research in this field to date generally suggests GSV is a reliable means of understanding the ‘‘real world'' environment. But limitations around the dates and resolution of images have been identified. An emerging strand within this literature is also concerned with the potential of GSV to understand recovery post-disaster. Using the GSV data set for the evacuated area around the Fukushima Dai'ichi nuclear power plant as a case study, this article evaluates GSV as a means of assessing disaster recovery in a dynamic situation with remaining uncertainty and a significant value and emotive dimension. The article suggests that GSV does have value in giving a high-level overview of the postdisaster situation and has potential to track recovery and resettlement over time. Drawing on social science literature relating to Fukushima, and disasters more widely, the article also argues it is imperative for researchers using GSV to reflect carefully on the wider socio-cultural contexts that are often not represented in the photo montage.

Long-term and Cross-sectoral Management of Interconnected Events： The Case of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident

In a world-shocking nuclear disaster occurred at Fukushima in 2011, multi-faceted consequences have manifested in not only direct and indirect but also tangible and intangible way in social, political, and economic domains. At present six year later, original risk issues, such as health, environmental, and financial risks, were complexly connected to each other, and have transformed to the wicked or complicated problems. This paper addresses the following four problems that we are faced with： prolonged evacuation and return to hometown, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings issues, nuclear regulatory issues, and nuclear energy policy and business. The authors discuss the reasons why above-noted situations arise from nuclear disaster in terms of endogenous factors embedded in socio-technical nuclear system in Japan and some common causes across the wicked problems. The wicked problems are also closely connected with each other, and become super-wicked problem. Among others, Japan＇s energy transition policy aiming at low carbon society tends to deviate politically and now at crossroad. Finally, the authors describe some perspectives and challenges required to govern interconnected events, as lessons learned from the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Public Exposure to U.S. Commercial Nuclear Power Plants Induced Disasters

This study explores the potential risks associated with the 65 U.S.-based commercial nuclear power plants and the distribution of those risks among the populations of both their respective host communities and of the communities located in outlying areas. First, it starts by examining the racial/ethnic composition of the host community populations, as well as the disparities in socioeconomic status that exist, if any, between the host communities and communities located in outlying areas.Second, it utilizes two independent-sample T tests to identify any differences in the sociodemographic compositions of the two areas. Third, it explores regional demographic trends by looking at the percent change in demographic variables in the host communities and communities located in outlying areas in 1990–2000 and2000–2010. Findings reveal that during the past two decades more people were exposed to the risks as population living in the host communities increased.

A Longitudinal Study of Human Exposure to Potential Nuclear Power Plant Risk

This study constructs a potential risk index(PRI) for the 65 U.S.-based commercial nuclear power plant(NPP) sites in relation to their surrounding populations. Four risk levels are defined: low risk, moderate risk,high risk, and very high risk. Discrepancies that exist in the sociodemographic characteristics of the host communities’ populations are examined as sorted by risk-level category.It is found that a greater percentage of minority groups are exposed to the highest levels of risk. In addition, percent 'Hispanic' and percent 'Other,'a grouping that includes multiracial, mixed, interracial, as well as Hispanic and Latino groups(for example, Mexican, Puerto Rican,Cuban, or Spanish) are categories that show the greatest percent change in both the period 1990–2000 and2000–2010.

Fukushima wastewater release:unanswered questions and global concerns

The decision by Japan to begin discharging the Fukushima wastewater into the ocean on August 24,2023 was followed by protests from several countries,including China,Russia,Korea,Vietnam,and deep concerns from the international community.This decision is related to the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster that occurred in 2011,which destroyed the cooling system of the nuclear power plant and caused the reactor cores to overheat.Much water was used to cool down the reactors fuel rods;about 1.3 million cubic meters contaminated water with highly radioactive material was generated,which can fill more than 500 Olympic swimming pools[1].In order to reduce the levels of radioactivity,an Advanced Liquid Processing System(ALPS)was used to remove most radioactive contaminants from water.ALPS works by circulating water through a system of tanks and filters,which removes specific contaminants such as cesium and strontium,using a multi-step process that includes coagulation,flocculation,ion exchange,and absorption[1].Japan's government and some scientists have argued that the ALPS-treated water is safe for release into the ocean.According to their claims,the discharged water poses minimal risk to human health and the environment.However,concerns about the long-term effects of this discharge remain in scientists′minds.