NISA admits radioactive cesium fallout from Fukushima 168 times worse than that from Hiroshima atomic bomb

The Japan Times reports that Japan's federal Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) has admitted that the Fukushima Daiichi reactor meltdowns have thus far released 15,000 terabecquerels of radioactive cesium-137 into the environment, 168 times more Ce-137 than the 89 terabecquerels released by the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. NISA also now admits that Fukushima Daiichi's radioactive releases are thus far 1/6th of Chernobyl's in 1986.

Japanese fed. govt. seeks "interim" storage for radioactive waste and contaminated debris in Fukushima Prefecture

The Japan Times reports that Governor Yuhei Sato was taken aback and "perplexed" when Japanese Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, made the "abrupt" proposal that Fukushima Prefecture host an "interim" storage site for radioactive wastes and contaminated debris from the shattered Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Meanwhile, Kan's point man on the nuclear crisis, Go Hosono, has warned that Fukushima Prefecture evacuees may have to wait 10 to 20 years to return home, if their communities are contaminated at the 150 millisievert (15 rem) or 200 millisievert (20 rem) per year radiation dose rate level. Of course, 25 years after the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe, a "Dead Zone" larger than 20 miles in radius is still maintained around Chernobyl Unit 4, officially prohibiting human habitation.

Ex Nuclear Regulator Blames Radioactive Animal Feed on "Black Rain"

In a video dated July 19th and entitled "Ex Japanese Nuclear Regulator Blames Radioactive Animal Feed on 'Black Rain'," Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds Associates describes widespread radioactive contamination caused by fallout from Fukushima Daiichi. Radioactive hay fed to cows contaminated beef long distances from the melted reactors. Mushrooms grown indoors far from Fukushima Daiichi exhibited severe contamination. The data points for severe radioactive contamination over a broad region of Japan are very troubling. ("Black Rain" was first observed by the survivors of the atomic bombings of Japan by the U.S. in August 1945, and refers to radioactivity precipitated down to the ground by rain.)

What went wrong at Fukushima Daiichi in Japan, and how it could happen at any atomic reactor in any country

In a video entitled "Why Fukushima Can Happen Here: What the NRC and Nuclear Industry Dont Want You to Know" posted at the Fairewinds Associates website, nuclear engineers Dave Lochbaum of Union of Concerned Scientists and Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds explain what went wrong at Fukushima Daiichi, then show how similar catastrophes can happen in the U.S., Germany, or any other country -- and not only in General Electric boiling water reactors of the Mark 1 containment design, but in any atomic reactor. The event, sponsored by C-10 and other environmental groups, took place in June 2011 at the Boston Public Library.

Fairewinds warns Japan against burning Fukushima fallout contamination

In a Fairewinds Associates video dated August 21st, Arnie Gundersen warns against the current practice in Japan of burning radioactively contaminated substances with the high radiation level of 8,000 bequerels per kilogram or less -- including the trick of "blending" more contaminated materials with less contaminated in order to average out to "burnable" levels. The problem? Fukushima fallout that has settled on the land and objects is re-suspended in the air, to re-contaminate areas that have been checked and declared to be of low contamination or contamination free, increasing their contamination levels.

Arnie also explains how high levels of radioactive sulfur were formed at Fukushima Daiichi, to then show up in the atmosphere in California, as a recent scientific study confirms (Gundersen misspeaks -- chlorine, not sodium, in seawater absorbing neutrons forms radioactive sulfur). The vast amount of neutrons needed to generate so much radioactive sulfur, Gundersen explains, is evidence that nuclear criticality or chain reactions continued long after the March 11 earthquake caused control rods to snuff out the nuclear reactions in the Units 1, 2 and 3 cores before the melt downs began.