Farmer in Evacuation-Ready Zone in Fukushima Insists He Will Sell His Rice

In this rare case, I am actually with the farmer who is standing up to the authorities.

The evacuation-ready zone was abolished on September 30 and the residents who evacuated are supposed to go back. However, the authorities (the national government and the Fukushima prefectural government) prohibited farmers in the evacuation zones (evacuation-ready, planned evacuation, and no-entry) from growing rice this year. It was a blanket ban on growing rice in these zones regardless of the density of radioactive materials in the soil, while areas outside the evacuation zones but with potentially high levels of radioactive materials in the soil were allowed to be cultivated for rice with only a cursory soil monitoring test.

This farmer defied the arbitrary government order, grew rice and harvested. He has declared he wants sell it.

From Yomiuri Shinbun (10/30/2011):

原発事故により緊急時避難準備区域に指定された地域でコメを作付け・収穫したとして、福島県は２８日、田村市都路町の農業の男性（５８）に対し、収穫したコメを廃棄するよう食糧法に基づいて勧告した。

On October 28, the Fukushima prefectural government advised a farmer (age 58) in Miyakoji-machi in Tamura City to discard the rice he harvested, based on the Food Control Law, because the farmer had grown and harvested the rice in the area designated as "emergency evacuation-ready zone" after the nuclear plant accident.

　男性は応じない意向を示した。

The farmer has said no.

　警戒区域、計画的避難区域、緊急時避難準備区域（９月３０日に解除）について、国は原子力災害特別措置法に基づき、コメの作付け制限を課した。

The national government restricted the cultivation of rice in the no-entry zone, planned evacuation zone, and evacuation-ready zone (which was abolished on September 30) based on the Special Measure for Nuclear Disaster Act.

　男性は、緊急時避難準備区域内の水田約１２０アールにコシヒカリを作付けし、すでに約１・８トンを収穫した。

The farmer planted "Koshihikari" rice in his 120-are rice paddies within the evacuation-ready zone, and he has already harvested 1.8 tonnes of rice.

　食糧法では、作付け制限区域内で収穫されたコメは廃棄しなければならない。勧告に対し、男性は県に「作るのは勝手。作ったコメは販売したい」などと話したという。

According to the Food Control Law, the rice harvested in the restricted areas must be discarded. In response to the prefectural government's advice, the farmer answered, "I grow as I please. I want to sell the rice that I grow."

　県によると、今年、作付け制限区域内で作付けした農家は１２軒あったが、男性方以外の１１軒は県の指導に応じ、収穫した米を廃棄したり、研究試験用に譲渡したりしたという。

According to Fukushima Prefecture, there are 12 farmers who grew rice in the restricted areas. 11 farmers have followed the advice and discarded the harvested rice or given it up for research.

　県は「作付け制限地域内にこのようなコメがあると消費者が知れば、不安や混乱を招く恐れがある。そうした影響を考えてほしい」としている。

The prefectural government says, "If the consumers know that there is rice grown in the restricted areas, it may cause anxiety and confusion. We would like [the farmer] to consider such consequences."

Ha. For this particular prefectural government to say that is too rich for me. Outside the restricted areas, they simply sample-tested the soil, ditto for the harvested rice. Locations that were found with highly contaminated rice hay were all allowed to grow rice. (Planting the rice came before the discovery of contaminated rice hay.) The rice from one particular location tested 500 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium, and the rice was grown in the soil with only 3,000 becquerels/kg of cesium. There are other locations whose rice exceeded 100 becquerels/kg. They were all good to sell (though the prefectural government ended up buying all of 500 becquerels/kg cesium rice).

They should measure the cesium content of the rice that this farmer grew. If it is no different from the rest of Fukushima rice that are being sold, they should allow it to be sold.

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#Radiation in Japan: Evacuation-Ready Zone to Be Abolished on September 30

The Japanese government says it will abolish the "evacuation-ready" zone in 5 municipalities that lie between 20 to 30-kilometer radius from Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant on September 30, all at once. It may be construed as a declaration by the national government that it is now "safe" to return after slightly over 6 months after one of the worst nuclear accidents in history (which many thing is "the" worst).

Yomiuri Shinbun (9/26/2011):

東京電力福島第一原子力発電所事故で同原発から半径２０～３０キロ圏を中心に設定された緊急時避難準備区域について、政府は３０日に一括して解除する。

The Japanese government will abolish the "evacuation-ready" zone on September 30. The "evacuation-ready" zone was set between 20 to 30-kilometer radius from Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant after the accident [where the residents are required to be ready to evacuate on a moment's notice and where no pregnant women and small children are supposed to be living].

　松下忠洋経済産業副大臣が２６日午前、同区域に設定された福島県川内村の遠藤雄幸村長らに方針を伝えた。

Tadahiro Matsushita, Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, informed the heads of the municipalities in the zone in the morning of September 26.

　同区域は、緊急時に屋内退避や圏外への避難ができるよう準備しておくことが求められている。南相馬市、田村市、楢葉町、広野町、川内村の５市町村の全部または一部が該当し、原発事故前の人口約５万８０００人のうち、約３万人が域外へ避難している。

In the "evacuation-ready" zone, residents are required to be ready to take refuge indoors or evacuate outside the zone in case of a nuclear emergency. The zone includes part or all of 5 municipalities - Minami Soma City, Tamura City, Naraha-machi, Hirono-machi, Kawauchi-mura. Currently, about 30,000 residents out of pre-accident area population of 58,000 have evacuated outside the area.

　今後、各自治体は復旧計画に基づいて学校や住宅などの除染を進めながら、域外に避難している住民らに帰宅を呼びかける。

Each municipality will carry out decontamination of schools and homes based on the "recovery plan" [that it has submitted to the national government], and ask the residents who have evacuated to come back.

Fukushima Prefecture will build new homes for the returning residents, Yomiuri also reports:

東京電力福島第一原発周辺で指定している緊急時避難準備区域を政府が今月中に解除する方針を示したことを受け、福島県は区域内の５市町村に仮設住宅を建設する方針を固め、用地の選定作業を始めた。

On the national government's notice that it will abolish the "evacuation-ready" zone by the end of this month, Fukushima Prefecture is finalizing the plan to build temporary houses in the 5 municipalities whose designation as "evacuation-ready" zone will be lifted. The prefectural government has started the selection process for the locations.

　津波や地震で自宅が壊れた人たちに、より近い場所で暮らしてもらうための措置。

The houses are for people who lost their homes in the earthquake and tsunami, so that they can live closer to their old homes [i.e. come back from their temporary shelters outside the area].

　５市町村は、南相馬市と田村市、広野町、楢葉町、川内村。県は、各市町村が希望する戸数などを聞き取り、建設に着手する。南相馬市からは既に４００戸程度の要望を受けている。

The 5 municipalities are Minami Soma City, Tamura City, Hirono-machi, Naraha-machi, Kawauchi-mura. The prefectural government will ask the municipalities how many houses they want built. Minami Soma City has already asked the prefectural government for 400 houses.

Japanese have always been good at construction projects. I mean, good at "dango" profit sharing of all scales and sizes between the contractors and subcontractors, and between them and the government officials.

And "decontamination"? Good luck to them if the data from Watari District in Fukushima City is any indication. Professor Tomoya Yamauchi of Kobe University compared the radiation levels before and after the district's "decontamination" effort, and found that it hardly made a dent. In a place where the removal of contaminated dirt didn't happen, the radiation level doubled in a month, possibly with new deposits of radioactive cesium migrating from the surrounding area. Scrubbing the roofs and walkways with power washer lowered the radiation by 30% at most. (Professor Yamauchi's report is here, in Japanese.)

But the "decontamination" projects, which are usually undertaken by the neighborhood associations with minimal support from the municipal government's cleaning contractors, seem to have an effect of making the residents feel the radiation may have gotten lower because of their own effort, and that it will be OK to continue to be living there.

A cheap, almost ideal solution for the politicians in the national government and the prefecture - decontamination by the residents, no need to pay for evacuation costs, a building boom for temporary houses creating jobs for the locals.

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More on Returning Residents to Evacuation-Ready Zone in Fukushima

It's all about money. The national and prefectural governments don't want to spend on the residents, decontamination, compensation. So what do they do? They return the residents to their high-radiation homes and schools by telling them Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant is broken in a stable way, so carry on with your lives and stay there.

In addition to Yomiuri's information in the previous post, here's a bit from Asahi Shinbun (11:20PM JST 8/9/2011):

福島県での緊急時避難準備区域の解除に向け、政府の原子力災害現地対策本部は９日、区域内にある５市町村の学校や通学路、公共施設など１４２４地点の放射線量（速報）を公表した。最大と最小地点はいずれも南相馬市でそれぞれ毎時５．５マイクロシーベルトと０．１マイクロシーベルトだった。最大地点にある住居は、すでに「特定避難勧奨地点」に設定されている。

To pave way for the lifting of the "emergency evacuation-ready zone" designation in Fukushima Prefecture, the Nuclear Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters announced the result (provisional) of the survey of the air radiation levels in 1,424 locations in the 5 municipalities in the zone. The survey was done in schools, on commute routes to schools and in other public facilities. The highest and lowest readings were both in Minami Soma City, 5.5 microsieverts/hr and 0.1 microsievert/hr respectively. The house that measured 5.5 microsieverts/hr radiation has already been designated as "specific evacuation recommendation spot".

　調査は７月中旬に実施した。結果を公表することで住民に戻るかどうかの判断材料にしてもらうなどの狙いがある。各市町村の線量は田村市が４．０～０．２、川内村が４．７～０．２、広野町が１．８～０．３、楢葉町が１．６～０．６（単位はいずれもマイクロシーベルト）。

The survey was conducted in mid July. By disclosing the result, the government wants the residents to decide whether to return. The range of radiation in the other 4 municipalities were (highest, lowest, in microsievert/hour):

Tamura City: 4.0, 0.2
Kawauchi-mura: 4.7, 0.2
Hirono-machi: 1.8, 0.3
Naraha-machi: 1.6, 0.6

　同本部によると、毎時３マイクロシーベルトを超えると、政府が注意を払う目安にしている年間被曝（ひばく）量の２０ミリシーベルトを超える可能性があり、放射性物質の集中的な除染が必要になる。

According to the government, if the radiation level exceeds 3 microsieverts/hour, the annual cumulative radiation exposure may exceed 20 millisieverts, the number that the government pays close attention to as it will require thorough decontamination of radioactive materials.

So, each of these 5 municipalities may have annual cumulative radiation levels of:

Minami Soma City: 0.88 to 48.18 millisieverts
Tamura City: 1.75 to 35.04 millisieverts
Kawauchi-mura: 1.75 to 41.17 millisieverts
Hirono-machi: 2.63 to 15.77 millisieverts
Naraha-machi: 5.26 to 14.02 millisieverts

That will be on top of added internal radiation and natural radiation exposure (which in Japan is 1.5 millisievert/year).

What's more unconscionable than returning the residents to these municipalities is that the governments, both national and Fukushima, never bothered to evacuate people, not even warn them, in higher radiation areas much further away from the plant, like Fukushima City, Date City, Koriyama City, and many more. They are 50 to 60 kilometers from the plant, and everyone was told their city was safe because it was so far away from the plant.

What the government didn't bother to tell them was that it was not an atomic bomb explosion where distance may have mattered, but it was a nuclear power plant explosion where weather played a much greater role than the distance.

But from early on, the government must have known that those distant cities were in big trouble. Recall that it was to Fukushima City first, that Dr. Shunichi "100 millisieverts are safe" Yamashita was dispatched on his very first assignment as Fukushima Prefecture radiation risk management advisor on March 21, one day after he was appointed.

But what was he instructed to do? We all know now that he was sent to tell everyone in those cities it was safe, nothing to worry about. Proud descendant of Byakko-tai, he addressed the Fukushima City residents. As if it were their noble duty to die, fighting the invisible radiation.

The Japanese government has become so much alike the government in the US, where they try to accomplish the task of governing by talking. A sign of a bankrupt government, both fiscally and morally.

Oh, and to make sure the residents who are not well-to-do have no choice but to come back, the Fukushima prefectural government has been closing the official evacuation shelters and cutting off the subsidies to the residents who fled to other prefectures, now that the nuke plant is "stable".

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Extend and Pretend: Japanese Government to Permanently Return Residents in Evacuation-Ready Zone Outside 20 Kilometer-Radius

Remember the Naraha-machi mayor who wanted to re-start Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant as soon as possible and have the final reprocessing plant in his town as the "post-nuke" plan for the town? It seems like he's getting his wish.

As soon as the national government receives plans from the municipalities on how they will re-open the public services in their towns, that will be good enough for the government to lift the designation of the "emergency evacuation-ready zone" and have all the residents back to their homes.

Never, ever mind that the area's radiation level is anywhere near safe not just for children and young mothers but for anyone.

From Yomiuri Shinbun (8/9/2011):

政府は９日、首相官邸で原子力災害対策本部（本部長・菅首相）の会合を開き、東京電力福島第一原子力発電所事故に伴う「緊急時避難準備区域」について、一括解除する方針を決定した。

The Nuclear Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters (headed by Prime Minister Kan) held a meeting on August 9 and decided to lift the "emergency evacuation-ready zone" designation all at once.

　実際の解除は対象となる自治体がまとめる復旧計画が出そろう今月下旬から９月上旬に行われる見通しだ。

It will be done when the municipalities in the designated zone submit their recovery plans, which are expected sometime between later this month and the early September.

　緊急時避難準備区域は同原発の２０キロ・メートル以遠の地域で、対象は福島県南相馬市、田村市、広野町、楢葉町、川内村の５市町村。緊急時の避難準備や子供などの自主避難を呼びかけている。同本部によると、５市町村は遅くとも９月上旬までに学校や医療機関の再開時期を明示した復旧計画を策定する。計画がそろい次第、政府は指定を解除し、住民の帰宅を実現させる。菅首相は会合で「避難も大変だが、避難から帰るのもそれ以上に大変なことがある。各省庁しっかり連携してほしい」と指示した。

The "emergency evacuation-ready zone" has been set in areas outside 20-kilometer radius from Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, and includes 5 municipalities - Minami Soma City, Tamura City, Hirono-machi, Naraha-machi, and Kawauchi-mura. The residents in the "emergency evacuation-ready zone" in these municipalities are to be ready to evacuate in a nuclear emergency, and they have been encouraged to voluntarily evacuate children. According to the Nuclear Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters, the 5 municipalities are to submit the recovery plans to the government by early September at the latest with details on when the schools and medical facilities in their municipalities will re-open. As soon as the government receives the plans, it will lift the "emergency evacuation-ready zone" designation and let the residents return. During the meeting, Prime Minister Kan instructed the ministries and agencies involved to cooperate closely to assist the residents in returning from evacuation.

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