#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: More on the Japanese Government Considering Raising the Radiation Limit for Workers

Following up on the post yesterday about the Japanese government contemplating raising the radiation limit for Fukushima I Nuke Plant workers, here's a tweet on April 11 by Miku Kakizawa, a Representative of Japan's lower house (House of Representatives), clearly quoting an official of the Kan Administration (Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano, most likely, but it could be a NISA official):

Regarding raising the radiation exposure limit to 250 milli-sievert/year, "According to the ICRP's international standard, the limit can be raised to 500 milli-sievert/year for a temporary work. However, it was too drastic to raise the limit [from 100 milli-sievert/year] to 500 milli-sievert/year, so we picked 250 milli-sievert/year," [according to the government].

現場作業員の許容被曝量を250ミリシーベルトに引き上げた事については、「ICRPの国際基準では臨時の作業の場合は500ミリシーベルトまで引き上げる事ができる。しかしいきなり500ミリシーベルトというのは高すぎるので、250にした」と説明。

So, 250 milli-sievert/year was just an arbitrary number on the way to higher limit. How high? Maybe even higher than 500 milli-sievert/year.

Why? Because of this report that appeared on March 31 (Nihon Television News 24; translation is mine):

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) suggested on March 31 that Japan take a more realistic approach to the annual radiation exposure limit in light of the prolonged Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident.

The Japanese government raised the radiation exposure limit for the nuclear power plant workers from 100 milli-sievert/year to 250 milli-sievert/year. ICRP said this was too strict, and considering the severity of the accident the limit should be further raised to deal with the on-going situation at the plant. Specifically, according to ICRP, if the radiation exposure limit is set between 500 and 1,000 milli-sievert/year as ICRP recommends, there won't be immediate negative effect on health.

ICRP also suggested that the Japanese government consider raising the limit for the residents on an emergency basis, if the plant crisis continues longer.

　ＩＣＲＰ（＝国際放射線防護委員会）は３１日、日本が定める放射線の防護基準について、福島第一原子力発電所の事故の事態の長期化も見据えて基準を緩和するなど、より現実的な対応を求める提言を行った。

　 政府は、福島第一原発の事故を受けて、原子力関連施設での緊急作業従事者の被ばく線量限度をこれまでの１００ミリシーベルトから２５０ミリシーベルトに引 き上げた。これに対して、ＩＣＲＰは、国際的に見てもかなり厳しく設定した基準であるとして、現在の事故の重大性を考えると、緊急作業従事者については基 準を緩和してより現実的な対応をすべきとの提言を行った。具体的には、ＩＣＲＰの勧告に沿って、緊急作業従事者の被ばく線量限度を５００～１０００ミリ シーベルトの範囲内で設定すれば、直ちに健康への影響はないとしている。

　また、一般住民についても、事態の長期化を考慮して、緊急時の被ばく線量の基準緩和を含めて協議すべきだとしている。

So the crisis may continue much longer, and ICRP recommends raising the limit for the ordinary people on this emergency situation which will last long? If an emergency lasts for long time, it's no longer an emergency, is it?

See, the Japanese government is conditioning the hapless residents of Japan. Slowly telling them 250 milli-sievert/year for the nuke plant workers is nothing, and even the 1,000 milli-sievert/year limit will have no immediate effect, because ICRP says so. As for the residents, well how about 100 milli-sievert/year? It would have no negative effect. (That's what ICRP says anyway.)

The government has already allowed school children in Fukushima Prefecture to be exposed up to 20 milli-sievert/year radiation anyway, so 100 milli-sievert/year for adults is nothing at this point.

Nihon Television is one of the major broadcasting companies in Japan, aligned with Yomiuri Shinbun.

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