Friday, November 11, 2011

#Radioactive "Ekiden" Road Race: High Radiation Detected in the Stadium, on the Course

Back in September, I wrote a post about the 27th East Japan Women's "Ekiden" Road Race to be held in Fukushima City, featuring underage girls as young as 13.

The race is on, this Sunday, November 13. Since I wrote the post, there has been a slow but now rapidly growing attempt from concerned citizens to stop the event. Short of stopping, at least they want emergency decontamination.

Why? Because the radiation levels in the stadium and on the roads to be used in the race in Fukushima City is very, very high, as they are being measured measured right now by a citizens group HCR+OPCOM.

From their tweets:

Inside the stadium, air radiation: 1.49 microsievert/hr

Inside the stadium, side of the track where runners are practicing: 1.71 microsievert/hr

Inside the stadium, side drain: 13.44 microsieverts/hr

10 meters from the stadium gate, on Ekiden course [on the ground]: 4.67 microsieverts/hr

Walkway along the course, on the ground: 11.80 microsieverts/hr ("Spectators beware!")

Air radiation level on the walkway along the course: over 1 microsievert/hr

1st relay point, on the ground: 13.14 microsieverts/hr

This is only for the 1st segment of the race course, and I assume they are only measuring gamma rays. Judging from the photos they post, they are measuring at the side of the road where the sediment and small debris tend to accumulate.

Still, now we know that the asphalt and concrete cannot be effectively "decontaminated" at this point, maybe there is not much difference.

Fukushima City is where Greenpeace found cobalt-60 in the soil in a park.

Willful ignorance of the coaches of these girls, particularly those school coaches who are also teachers, is staggering. They think it is totally safe, because "if it isn't, they wouldn't have planned it". That's similar to the Mayor of Yokohama, who said the food was safe "if it was sold in the market".

As related in one tweet, one of the coaches/teachers replied to the concern of a parent that there was this thing called "half life", and the radiation level in Fukushima City had already fallen to a safe level. Half life of cesium-137 is 30 years. I guess no one had told that teacher about it. When the parent told him about it and how high the radiation level in Fukushima City was, the coach got really concerned.

Every participating team has girls in high school and junior high school. I believe it is a requirement. It looks more than half of the members in any given are made up of girls under the age of 18. They are not even a voting age or drinking age (age of 20). One quarter of the team members cannot marry even with the consent of their parents (age of 16). But they can be exposed to high radiation.

Does that make sense? I thought intentionally endangering the minor is a crime.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I usually support what my kids are passionate about, but in this situation, I would prevent my kid from participating in this kind of insane event, even if I have to kidnap her.
Wake up, parents! You are the only one who can save your kid, and you (and your kid) are the one who will really suffer if something happens to her.

Kevin said...

I tried to imagine why parents would encourage their children to participate in such an event. I'm still looking for answers...

http://www.senrinomichi.com/?p=4013 (English and Japanese - click language menu right screen)

no6ody said...

Everything is fine, there is no need to worry. If there was a problem, the races would be cancelled, right? So there is no need to worry, right? The reactors have been 'stabilized, right? RIGHT?

Are the children being exposed so that the rest of the population reach the above conclusions? Of course. I only hope that a thousand people show up on the day of the races with chirping Geiger counters, preferably ones that have a loud radiation alarm. Perhaps this will stop the sacrifice of the children on the altar of Mammon.

Anonymous said...

BIRTHCONTROL on a large scale!

DD said...

.. as predicted .. with great sadness ...

Anonymous said...

cant believe they are going for it!! :(
strange!
off topic
@admin

wonder if youve come across this? needs translation!

http://enenews.com/fukushima-m­an-reports-seeing-yellow-flash­-when-reactor-no-3-exploded-fr­om-over-30-miles-away-video
also posted link to tokyobrowntabby
peace

Darth3/11 said...

Will this race be on NHK?

mike in tokyo rogers said...

Well, perhaps the source should be considered. People who knowingly lived near a nuclear power plant may have different views on what is and isn't safe. Accident or not, I wouldn't live within a hundred miles of one... I'm sure some people wouldn't consider 500 miles safe enough.
People have built their lives on these towns and the industries that support them. Never underestimate the willingness of these people to make (sometimes grievous) sacrifices for what they perceive as their survival (if it seems very twisted to you or me). Is it denial or something else?
If it is denial, then these people are no worse off than you or me. Most people have a problem with denial at some points in their lives.

Anonymous said...

"Willful ignorance .. is staggering. "

This conspiracy to 'do the radiation to you' requires your permission.

Willful.
It is the aspect to focus upon.

"Is it denial or something else? "

While hesitating to use the term, it is technically a cult.
That which you choose to be part of is an expression of will.
Willful 'ignorance' is an expression of disaffect.

Disaffect can yield social devices.
Social devices can turn injurious, and that's why people speak of genocide.

Anonymous said...

Do you understand? They are measuring radiation in undisturbed air.

Running a marathon truly kicks-up and disperses dirt/dust paricles into the air the runners are breathing. That causes inhalation of internal particles. Internal radioactive particles are the most dangerous to health...1,5, 10, 15 years later.

Anonymous said...

That is really unhealthy...the amount of air they will need to take in and the dust, too. Guaranteed cancer & maybe leukemia soon for that bunch.

I think the fact that cancer and ill health is ordinarily less well-known and common in Japan makes the Japanese more willing to take risks. Having known several relatives and friends with cancer here in the West--trust me, you DON'T want it, at any cost!!!

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