http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120116_14.html
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120117_08.html
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120118_21.html
Concrete sold to over 200 firms may be tainted
The Japanese government is investigating the distribution of crushed stones that may contain radioactivity from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. It has found that concrete made of the stones has been sold to more than 200 firms.
The probe comes after radioactive cesium was detected in a new apartment building in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture where the concrete was used. Readings of up to 1.24 microsieverts per hour have been recorded inside the building which is higher than outside.
The gravel comes from a quarry in Namie that was designated as an evacuation zone in April.
The quarry operator says it shipped more than 5,000 tons of crushed stones to 19 firms in the weeks after the accident. The government has set no limit on radiation in stones and sand used for construction even after the nuclear accident.
The company president told reporters on Monday that he never imagined that stones from his quarry would cause such a problem and that he wants to apologize to residents of the building for their exposure to radiation.
The economy ministry says 2 of the 19 firms sold concrete made of the stones to more than 200 companies. It believes that the concrete was used in housing construction and on roads.
Monday, January 16, 2012 13:54
Fukushima to help residents in contaminated condo
Officials in Fukushima Prefecture will support residents living in an apartment building where contaminated concrete was used.
The decision comes after radioactive cesium was detected in the building in Nihonmatsu City. The concrete used was made from crushed stones that may contain radioactive materials from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Readings of up to 1.24 microsieverts per hour have been recorded in some of the rooms on the ground floor. The levels are higher than outside.
The gravel came from a quarry in Namie near the stricken plant. The town was designated as an evacuation zone in April.
Ten of the 12 households living in the building are people who evacuated from Namie and Minamisoma following the nuclear accident.
The prefectural government intends to interview all the residents in the building, whether they want to move to another place in the neighborhood or not. The government will help those who want to move find rental accommodations and get them settled.
The prefectural office says officials from the original municipalities of the residents will conduct the interviews.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 07:57 +0900 (JST)
Govt ramping up probe into irradiated gravel
Japan's central government and Fukushima Prefecture plan to expand their investigation into the distribution of gravel possibly contaminated with radioactive substances after the March nuclear accident.
The investigation is now underway after higher-than-usual levels of radioactive cesium were detected in concrete used in a newly built apartment in Nihonmatsu City. The city escaped a major impact from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The concrete was made from crushed stones from a quarry in Namie Town, designated an evacuation zone following the accident.
The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry and the prefecture decided to expand the number of quarries to be investigated from 10 to 17.
The ministry also decided to investigate whether gravel obtained from local rivers after the accident is contaminated.
It has so far been learned that gravel from the quarry in Namie was sold to more than 200 construction companies and used in the construction of buildings and roads at about 1,000 locations.
Pour Jancovici ce n'est pas documenté en dessous de 200mSieverts/an !!!!!
Et technocratiquement le nucléaire est sans danger, mais pas scientifiquement.
(en plus du risque de plus en plus important d'un accident prêt de chez nous...)
