(Duh...) Ministry of Economy to Investigate Other Bldg Materials for Radiation

It has finally occurred to the elite bureaucrats at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry that maybe, just maybe, all the building materials that were stored outdoors since the March 11 Fukushima I Nuke Plant accident may have been contaminated with radioactive fallout from the broken reactors, and not just the crushed stone from the stone pit in Namie-machi, Fukushima Prefecture.

Good, now you're thinking. The problem is that their approach is just the same as their counterparts in the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Health: pick areas of what they (say they) think may have more contamination than others, and go ask the companies, and test if possible.

The similar method used radioactive beef, radioactive rice hay, radioactive rice has served the country well, having practically destroyed the credibility of the government of any form .

If beef, rice hay, leaf compost are any indication, the contaminated building materials may have spread far and wide already, outside Fukushima Prefecture. And what about the building materials stored outside in places like Tochigi, Ibaraki, and Gunma Prefectures? Or southern Miyagi where the high level of radioactive cesium was detected from the rice hay, and where radioactive cesium in raw milk has seen a spike recently?

For now, those are none of the concerns for the Ministry for now.

From Fukushima Minpo (1/18/2012):

二本松市のマンションで放射性物質に汚染された疑いがある砕石を原料にした生コンが使われた問題で、県と経済産業省は１７日、東京電力福島第一原発事故当時、屋外に置かれていた砂利や製材などの建設・建築資材の調査に入る方針を固めた。計画的避難区域と特定避難勧奨地点周辺の土木、建築関連業者を対象に出荷先などを調べる。一方、砕石の流通経路調査で経産省は、浜通りと県北地方を中心とした１６社を対象にすることを決め、販売先の特定を急ぐ。

Regarding the concrete used for the apartment in Nihonmatsu with the crushed stone suspected of having been contaminated with radioactive materials, the Fukushima prefectural government and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry decided on January 17 to investigate the building and construction materials such as gravel and sawing lumber that were stored outside when the Fukushima I Nuclear Plant accident happened. They will target the civil engineering and construction companies in and around the planned evacuation zone and the special evacuation recommendation spots (aka hot spots) to find out where the construction materials have been sold. As for the crushed stones, the Ministry has decided to investigate 16 companies in Hamadori (coastal 1/3 of Fukushima Prefecture) and the northern Fukushima, and will try to identify the buyers.

　県と経産省は砕石と同様、屋外に置かれていた砂利や砂、製材についても放射性物質が付着した可能性があるとして調査に乗り出す。

The prefectural government and the Ministry of Economy will conduct investigation on building materials like gravel, sand, and sawing lumber that were kept outside, just like the crushed stones that may have been contaminated with radioactive materials.

　浜通り北部や県北地方などの計画的避難区域、特定避難勧奨地点の周辺を中心とした建設業者や製材、建築業者らに原発事故当時、屋根のない屋外の敷地に置いていたかどうか聞き取る。該当する資材があれば出荷先を特定し、放射線量を測定する考えだ。

They will interview the construction companies, lumber yards, etc around the planned evacuation zone and special evacuation recommendation spots in northern Hamadori (coastal Fukushima) and the northern part of Fukushima Prefecture [where Fukushima City is located]. If they find the materials that were stored outside without the roof, they will identify the buyers and measure radiation levels.

　ただ、調査対象が膨大な数に上ることから、調査には時間がかかるとみられる。データを管理していない業者もあるとみられ、正確な流通経路の把握は難しいのではとの指摘もある。

However, due to the sheer number of subjects, the investigation may take a long time. There may be companies that didn't keep records, and some point out that it may be difficult to accurately track the distribution channels.

　一方、砕石の流通経路調査は、比較的放射線量の高い地域にある業者１６社を対象に実施する。出荷先を調べ、線量を測った上で、周辺環境への影響を判断する。

As to the distribution channels for the crushed stone, they will target 16 companies in the areas with relatively high radiation. They will identify the buyers, measure the radiation levels in order to assess the effect on the environment.

　県幹部は「砕石で発生した問題を水平展開し、他の建築資材についても早急に調査する必要がある」としている。

The senior officials in the prefectural government say, "We need to apply the problem of the crushed stone to the other building materials and investigate as soon as possible."

Idiocracy.

Whoever says that the Japanese people are smart should know they are smart at test-taking skills so that they can go to good schools to become a good worker in peacetime, not the real-life problem-solving skills in a crisis.

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"Radioactive" Crushed Stones Used over 400 Job Sites in at Least 4 Cities in Fukushima

I put the word radioactive in parenthesis in the title because I'm not fully convinced that the crushed stones from the stone pit in the planned evacuation zone in Namie-machi are the only cause of the elevated radiation in the apartment in Nihonmatsu City in Fukushima.

Nevertheless, the latest news on the "radioactive" crushed stones is:

• The stones were sold and widely used in construction of apartments, houses, and roads in at least 4 municipalities including Fukushima City in Fukushima Prefecture;

• The Nihonmatsu city government knew about the high radiation exposure of the residents in the apartment back in December but didn't tell the residents.

• The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry knew about it on December 28, 2011 when the city emailed the Ministry asking for guidance, but didn't do anything until January 10, 2012 because it was New Year's Day holiday and then a long weekend on January 7, 8 and 9.

• The residents in the apartment weren't informed at all, until the news finally broke in the media.

Oh and one typically Japanese bit of information: the concrete company in Nihonmatsu City who delivered the concrete with these crushed stones in it for the apartment foundation has since closed business, and they already destroyed all the documents detailing how much concrete was sold to which job site. Probably only to emerge as a new company under a new name, as often happens in Japan.

Many residents of the apartment are evacuees from Minami Soma City and Namie-machi, having escaped the radiation from the Fukushima I Nuclear Plant accident, only to receive added extra by settling in Nihonmatsu City in this apartment.

First from Sankei Shinbun archived at a message board, as Sankei's news links may not last long (1/17/2012):

福島県二本松市内のマンション１階の室内から、屋外より高い放射線量が測定された問題で、同じ材料のコンクリートが一般住宅などでも使われていることが１６日、生コンクリート業者の話で分かった。この材料を使った用水路からも、比較的高い放射線量が測定された。また、経済産業省が最初の報告を昨年末に受けていたことも明らかになった。

Concerning the detection of radiation inside an apartment in Nihonmatsu City in Fukushima Prefecture that was higher than outside, the same concrete mix was also used in the construction of single-family houses, according to the concrete company. Relatively high level of radiation has also been detected at an irrigation channel. It has also been revealed that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry had received the first report at the end of last year.

　砕石会社「双葉砕石工業」によると、昨年３月の原発事故後から同４月２２日にかけて、石約５２８０トンを県内の１９社に出荷した。問題のマンション基礎部分のコンクリートと同じコンクリートを使った二本松市内の農業用水路で、毎時１・６２～１・９７マイクロシーベルトが測定された。

According to the stone pit operator Futaba Saiseki Kogyo, the company shipped about 5,280 tonnes of stones from March 11 to April 22 last year to 19 companies in Fukushima Prefecture. The radiation levels of 1.62 to 1.97 microsievert/hour have been detected at the concrete foundation of the apartment and at an irrigation channel in Nihonmatsu City.

　生コン業者によると、福島県二本松市周辺の戸建て住宅で、土台に同じ石を使った生コンを使用。別の生コン業者もマンション以外に県内の一般住宅で使用したという。市内の小学校に隣接する道路でもこの砕石が使われていた。

According to the concrete company, the same concrete mix was used for foundations of single family houses around Nihonmatsu City. The other concrete company also delivered the concrete mix to build single family houses in Fukushima Prefecture. The crushed stones were also used [as substrate] for the road next to an elementary school in Nihonmatsu City.

　また、経産省によると、このマンションをめぐっては昨年１２月２８日、二本松市から、市の調査でマンション１階の住民の被曝（ひばく）線量が高いとメールで相談があった。しかし２階部分は放射線量が高くなく、同省はコンクリートが原因であると結論は出さなかった。

According to the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry received an email from Nihonmatsu City regarding the high radiation exposure level of a resident who lived on the first floor of the apartment [a girl wearing the glass badge]. Since the radiation levels were not high on the 2nd floor, the Ministry didn't think it was the concrete that was the problem.

[Wait a minute... If the 1st floor had high radiation and the 2nd floor didn't, wouldn't it be logical to conclude the radiation could be coming from the floor and below?]

　年明け５日ごろに、同市などの調査で砕石が原因の可能性が高まり、６日ごろに再び同市から経産省に報告があった。このため同省は、連休明けの１０日から詳しい調査に乗り出したという。

Around January 5, 2012, the city's investigation identified the crushed stones as a possible culprit, and the city contacted the Ministry again on January 6. The Ministry started its investigation on January 10, after the long weekend.

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　高い放射線量が検出された新築マンションでは、１階住民を中心に移転先を探す動きが出始めた。住民の中には、一部が警戒区域などにかかる浪江町や南相馬市から避難している家族もいる。「もうこりごりだ」「寝耳に水」。動揺と憤りが交錯した。

In the newly built apartment where the high levels of radiation have been detected, the residents on the 1st floor have started to look for a new place to live. Some of the residents in the apartment are families from Namie-machi and Minami Soma City; part of Namie and Minami Soma is inside the no-entry zone. "We've just had enough." "Complete surprise." They are confused and angry.

　管理会社によると、マンションには、全１２世帯が居住。２階に住む、主婦の山崎ひろ子さん（６３）は中学３年と小学５年の孫娘２人らと浪江町から避難してきた。孫には、外出時にマスクをさせてきた。

According to the rental management company, there are 12 families living in the apartment. Hiroko Yamazaki, 63-year-old housewife, evacuated from Namie-machi with two granddaughters, 9th grader and 5th grader. She has made them wear masks when they go outside.

　山崎さんは「（線量が）高いと分かった時点ですぐに教えてほしかった。（孫娘らの）健康に影響がないか不安だ」と動揺を隠せない。

Yamazaki cannot hide her agitation, and says, "I wish they told us when they found out the radiation level was high. I'm worried for the health of my granddaughters."

　また、同じ浪江町から家族で避難してきた住民の男性会社員（３３）も「せっかく避難してきたのに、また放射能に苦しむなんてこりごりだ」とやりきれない表情を見せた。

A 33-year-old office worker who has evacuated also from Namie-machi with his family says, "For all that trouble to evacuate, we still have to suffer radiation. We've had enough."

　管理会社によると、高い線量が計測された土台に近い１階に住む幼い子供を持つ家族が移転を決意。同社と二本松市で連携しながら移転先を見つけ、近日中に引っ越すという。

The management company says one family on the 1st floor with small children has decided to move out. The company will cooperate with Nihonmatsu City to find the substitute housing, and the family hopes to move in a few days.

　また、他家族にも希望者がいるが、移転先確保は難航しそうだ。二本松は原発事故で大量の避難者が流入してきた地域で、賃貸住宅の空きがない状態が続いているという。

There are others who want to move out, but it may be hard to find the substitute housing. Nihonmatsu City has a large number of evacuees fleeing the Fukushima I Nuke Plant accident, and there is hardly any vacancy in rental housing.

Fukushima Minpo (1/17/2012) reports that the stone pit operator Futaba Saiseki Kogyo sold to 2 concrete companies, one in Nihonmatsu who's gone out of business, and one in Motomiya City. They sold concrete mix to 300 companies at over 400 job sites. The stone pit operator also sold to 17 construction companies. The concrete was sold at least in Nimonmatsu City, Motomiya City, Fukushima City, and Ootama-mura.

And counting.

Hiroki Otani, associate professor at Tokyo Metropolitan University who became famous (or infamous, depending on how you view radiation exposure) last year for declaring "it's safe" on TV for just about every single discovery of radiation contamination, says "1 microsievert/hour radiation will not immediately affect health, so no need to worry. But they'd better not live on a yearly basis", meaning there may be health effect if they continue to live there for more than one year. That's good to know that he now qualifies his remark after 11 months.

Well, unfortunately, these people moved from Minami Soma or Namie with the plume from the broken nuclear power plant, first in a northwest direction via Iitate-mura (of all places) and then south. And they stayed in Nihonmatsu City where the IAEA back in March 2011 was measuring 4.2 microsieverts/hour radiation (link in Japanese).

It's just too bad that Professor Hayakawa's map didn't reach any of these people when it may have mattered.

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#Radioactive Apartment Update: Was Radiation from Crushed Stone Used in Foundation?

(Update: The stone pit operator, Futaba Saiseki Kogyo, sold the crushed stones to the concrete company in Nihonmatsu City in Fukushima which has since closed down. There is no record kept at the concrete company of where the concrete was sold and how much. The stone pit operator sold about 1000 tonnes to the concrete company, and the remaining 4000 tonnes or so to 20 construction companies inside Fukushima Prefecture.

The stone pit operator executive says he didn't know much about radiation, and that he would have stopped selling if the government had told him to. Information in Japanese, here and here.)

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For now, the media has decided to focus on the aggregate in the concrete used in the foundation of the apartment in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima. The crushed stones from a stone pit in Namie-machi in the planned evacuation zone just outside the no-entry zone were freely shipped and sold until April 22, and several hundred job sites in Fukushima Prefecture may have used the stones.

Asahi reports slightly different numbers for radiation than reported in Fukushima TV news.

Nihonmatsu City may have known about the high radiation at the apartment since December last year, when the city had the result of the cumulative radiation exposure for children wearing glass badges.

Well, the city couldn't cast any shadow over the prime minister's declaration of "cold shutdown state" of Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, could it?

From Asahi Shinbun (1/16/2012):

福島県二本松市の新築マンションの工事に、東京電力福島第一原発事故で出た放射性物質に汚染されたコンクリートが使われていたことがわかった。マンション１階の床からは屋外より高い放射線量が測定された。同市と国が１５日発表した。

The concrete contaminated with radioactive materials from the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident was used in the construction of an apartment in Nihonmatsu City in Fukushima Prefecture. The radiation from the floor of the 1st floor of the apartment was higher than that of outside. The city and the national government announced on January 15, 2012.

　コンクリの材料に、計画的避難区域内の砕石場の石が使われたのが原因とみられる。同じ材料が数百カ所の工事に使われたとみられ、国は石やコンクリの流通経路を調査している。

The high radiation is thought to be coming from the stones used in the concrete mix; the stones came from a stone pit inside the planned evacuation zone. The same stones have been used in several hundred job sites, and the national government is investigating the distribution routes of the stones and the concrete.

　発表によると、汚染されたコンクリが使われたのは、昨年７月に完成した二本松市若宮地区の鉄筋コンクリート３階建て賃貸マンションの土台部分。１階の室内の高さ１メートルの線量が毎時１．１６～１．２４マイクロシーベルトで、屋外の同０．７～１．０マイクロシーベルトより高かった。２、３階の室内は同０．１０～０．３８マイクロシーベルトという。

According to the announcement, the contaminated concrete was used in the foundation of the 3-story apartment made of ferro-concrete in Wakamiya District of Nihonmatsu City. The apartment was finished construction in July last year. At 1 meter off the floor in a room on the 1st floor, the radiation level is 1.16 to 1.24 microsievert/hour. The radiation level outside is 0.7 to 1.0 microsievert/hour. On the 2nd and 3rd floors, the radiation level inside rooms is 0.1 to 0.38 microsievert/hour.

　コンクリの材料になった石は、計画的避難区域に入っている浪江町南津島の砕石場から搬出。コンクリ会社を通じ昨年４月１１日、マンションの基礎工事に５７．５立方メートルのコンクリが使われた。

The crushed stones used in the concrete were transported from a stone pit in Minami Tsushima in Namie-machi, inside the planned evacuation zone. 57.5 cubic meters of concrete was used in the foundation of the apartment building on April 11 last year.

　砕石場では原発事故前に採取した石を砕き、事故後も屋外に置いて避難区域に指定される同月２２日まで出荷を続けたという。経済産業省などによると、この砕石会社は県内の１９社に計５２００トンを出荷。このうち、マンションにコンクリを納入した二本松市の会社からは県内の百数十社に販売され、数百カ所の工事に使われたとみられるという。

At the stone pit, they crushed the stones that had been picked before the nuclear accident, and the crushed stones were kept outdoors and continued to be sold until the area was designated as evacuation zone on April 22. According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the stone pit operator sold 5200 tonnes of stones to 19 companies in Fukushima Prefecture. The concrete company in Nihonmatsu City who delivered concrete to the apartment site has sold concrete to over 100 companies in Fukushima Prefecture, and the concrete was used at several hundred job sites.

　二本松市は昨年９～１１月、子どもなどの積算線量を計測。マンションに住む女子中学生の３カ月間の線量が１．６２ミリシーベルトと比較的高かったため、市が調べた。マンションには１２世帯が入居している。

Nihonmatsu City measured the cumulative external radiation exposure of children from September through November last year. A female junior high school student who lives in the apartment was found with 1.62 millisievert cumulative radiation for the 3 months, and the city conducted the investigation. There are 12 families living in the apartment.

　マンション１階の室内に２４時間滞在する仮定で計算すると、年間の線量は１０ミリシーベルト前後になる。

If you stay inside a room on the 1st floor of the apartment for 24 hours, the cumulative radiation in one year would be about 10 millisieverts.

NHK runs a similar story, quoting the Ministry of Economy saying it must be the crushed stones from that particular stone pit in Namie-machi. That's the official story.

It's a bit hard to believe hard crushed stones has that much radiation on the surface considering the surface-to-volume ratio. On the other hand, small particles like ashes may. But the official story is set, and the net citizens on blogs and Twitter are left wondering "What about cement? What about additives in concrete? What about steel mesh or rebar?"

It is also convenient to blame everything on one stone pit operator than to have to check every bag of cement from the cement companies.

Another thing that strikes me as odd is the amount of crushed stones sold from this stone pit operator in such a short period of time between the March 11 accident and April 22. I suspect the situation may be similar to the cattle farmers in the planned evacuation zone who managed to sell their cows which were later found with high levels of radioactive cesium, before any rigorous testing started.

Hmmm. This is starting to feel like the radioactive beef and radioactive rice debacles from last year where first denying the problem and then insisting the problem was an exception, and doing perfunctory sample testing totally backfired on the government. We'll see if this story goes quiet very quickly.

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#Radioactive Apartment in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima, Measuring 1.2 Microsievert/Hr Inside

It looks the glass badge worn by a student who lives in the apartment helped identify the "hot" concrete.

A kind of perverse way to find out about radiation contamination...

From Fukushima TV News (1/15/2012):

二本松市のマンションのコンクリートから比較的高い放射線が確認され環境省ではコンクリートに放射性物質が混入したまま工事が行われたと見て調べています。

Relatively high levels of radiation have been detected from the concrete in an apartment building in Nihonmatsu City [in Fukushima Prefecture]. The Ministry of the Environment suspects that radioactive materials were in the concrete, and is investigating.

問題が発覚したのは二本松市で去年９月に建設されたマンションです。環境省などによりますと先月２７日、マンションに住む生徒が身につけていた積算線量計が３ヶ月で１・５ミリシーベルトと高い値を示したことから二本松市が周辺の調査を行いました。

The apartment was built in September last year in Nihonmatsu City. According to the Ministry of the Environment, the glass badge worn by a student who lives in the apartment registered 3-month cumulative radiation exposure of 1.5 millisievert on December 27, prompting the city to survey the surrounding area.

その結果マンションの基礎部分のコンクリートから毎時１・４マイクロシーベルト前後、室内からも１・２マイクロシーベルト前後が確認されたと言うことです。環境省ではコンクリート内に放射性物質が混入したまま工事が行われたと見て施工業者から事情を聞くなど確認を進めています。

The survey found 1.4 microsievert/hour from the concrete foundation of the apartment, and 1.2 microsievert/hour inside the apartment. The Ministry of the Environment thinks the apartment was built using concrete with radioactive materials, and is asking the building contractor for details.

I wonder if it is just concrete.

If you recall, 446,000 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium was detected from the sewage sludge in Fukushima City on May 8, 2011. The sludge had been sold to cement companies until the detection at Koriyama City on April 30, when 26,400 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium was detected from their sewage sludge. In the case of Koriyama City, over 900 tonnes of this radioactive sludge had been sold to one cement company (Sumitomo Osaka Cement) alone.

If the surface radiation level of the concrete is 1.4 microsievert/hour, I believe the concrete has at least 100,000 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium in it, if the radiation measurements of sludge and rooftop sediment are any indication.

(UPDATE: I tweeted this news and the information about the radioactive sludge from last year as above in Japanese, and judging by the number of retweets, many Japanese weren't even aware of the highly radioactive sewage sludge was being sold until April 30. Retweets exceeded 100 in probably less than 15 minutes. The news was in the major newspapers then, but I remember people were still sleepwalking, in a way, back then.)

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