The Eco Club at Bucks held a presentation in Tyler Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 24, titled “An Answer to the Crisis at Fukushima Daiichi,” featuring Japanese engineer and founder of the Fukushima Skilled Veterans Corps, Yastel Yamada.
Fukushima Daiichi is one of the largest nuclear power plants in the world, located in Japan. In March 2011, Japan was devastated by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake. The epicenter was near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
The earthquake severely damaged the nuclear power plant at Fukushima Daiichi, and the private Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, has taken restoration underway. Radiation is a huge consideration for Japanese citizens, and especially for those working on the damaged nuclear units.
Yamada described how TEPCO has handled the damage. There are four units in Fukushima Daiichi, and units one, two and three exploded after the earthquake.
The earthquake cracked the foundation of the three units, and ground water can leak in and out. The water can become contaminated, and the “contaminated water goes into the ocean,” Yamada says.
Water tanks were built to hold the excess contaminated water. TEPCO did not weld the water tanks, but only used nuts and bolts to seal them shut. The tanks often leak contaminated water, exposing workers to radiation.
Yamada has found many faults within TEPCO’s plan of action, including an underground water pool shielded with plastic sheets. If there is another earthquake, the sheets may rupture and more contaminated water will leak into the ground.
Yamada also says that TEPCO’s time plan is lacking in long term efforts, as nuclear fuel removal is planned to bring in 2022.
Yamada and the Fukushima Skilled Veterans Corps, or FSV, are looking to TEPCO to allow skilled veterans, as opposed to younger workers, to work at Fukushima Daiichi. He explained three reasons behind this.
The first reason is that radiation damages DNA in cells that split. Because younger people are growing, there is more cell division, and therefore they are more susceptible to radiation damage. There is less cell division in an older person, so they are less likely to be affected by radiation.
The second reason is, assuming there is radiation damage to an elderly worker, he or she already have less time left. Yamada explained, “I am 73. I would not live for 30 years more, and I am more likely to die of other causes.”
The final reason is that elderly people are very unlikely to have children, so they will not have children with birth defects.
When the plan was introduced to the Japanese government, representatives explained that they appreciated FSV’s proposal, and asked TEPCO to consider it. However, they did not tell TEPCO to enforce it.
“No one can refute this request,” Yamada says.
Nevertheless, TEPCO responded, explaining they do not have any room for more workers. FSV is touring the U.S. to gain more support, and persuade the Japanese government to allow older workers to aid in the cleanup of Fukushima Daiichi.