Japanese Government to Measure Radiation of Rain and Snow in Fukushima Prefecture

About time, you may say. But wait, there's more. The result will be available in March.

And while we wait for the radioactivity of the snow that falls in Fukushima, the prefecture and the national government have been promoting ski slopes in Fukushima to young people with free or discount lift tickets. Come on up, the snow will shield dangerous radiation, so ski and snowboard in our beautiful mountains, the ski hotels in Fukushima say.

The Ministry of Education and Science already announced that there will be no announcement on weekends and holidays.

Yomiuri Shinbun (1/8/2012):

政府の原子力災害現地対策本部と福島県災害対策本部は１月から、同県内で地表に降った雨や雪を採取し、放射性物質を測定する観測を始めた。

The national government's Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters in Fukushima Prefecture and the Fukushima Prefecture's Disaster Response Headquarters have started to collect rain and snow that fall on Fukushima to measure radioactive materials.

　１回目の測定結果は、３月初旬までに公表する予定。大気中に浮遊するちりなどに含まれる放射性物質の測定は、現在も県内２０か所以上で実施しているが、昨年夏以降、検出限界値を下回る地点が多くなっていた。このため、雨や雪についても観測し、どの程度放射性物質が地表に沈着しているかを調べる。

The result of the first measurement is expected to be released by early March. The radioactive fallout in the air is still measured at more than 20 locations inside Fukushima, but since last summer the numbers at many locations are below the detection limit. So the government will test rain and snow in addition to the fallout to see the deposition of radioactive materials on the ground surface.

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High Level of Radioactive Cesium from Snow in #Fukushima

Radioactive pollution is now detected in snow and freshwater fish.

And Japan's Kan administration still pushes for nuclear power, not just for the Japanese but for the up-and-coming countries in Asia and the rest of the world.

From Mainichi Shinbun Japanese (5/30/2011; link, emphasis added):

山岳愛好家らで作る「高山（たかやま）の原生林を守る会」は２９日、福島市周辺の山岳地帯から採取した雪の放射線量分析結果を公表した。標高１５００メー トル以下を中心に高濃度の放射性セシウムが検出され、最高は箕輪山東斜面の１３３８メートル地点で１キロ当たり２９６８ベクレルだった。市内の阿武隈川の ヤマメなど川魚からは国の暫定規制値（１キロ当たり５００ベクレル）を上回るセシウムが検出され、雪解け水の流入が原因とみられるという。

On May 29, a private association of mountain lovers [in Fukushima], "Association for preserving the primal forests in Takayama Mountain", announced the result of radiation analysis of snow samples taken from the mountains around Fukushima City in Fukushima Prefecture. High concentration of radioactive cesium was detected from snow samples taken below the altitude of 1,500 meters (4,921 feet), with the highest being 2,968 becquerels per kilogram from the sample taken on the east slope of Mount Minowa at 1,338 meters high. Radioactive cesium that exceeds the provisional national limit (500 becquerels per kilogram) has been detected from freshwater fish in the Abukuma river that runs through Fukushima City, and it is considered that radioactive cesium in fish comes from the water from melted snow.

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