Kip Magee

Great Basin College

Fukushima Disaster of Japan

February 22, 2018

Abstract

I will examine the disaster of the tsunami that hit Japan in March 11, 2011 from a major earthquake that registered at a 9.0 magnitude on the coastal region. That earthquake affected the coastal preservation of the Tokyo Electric Power Plant a Nuclear Industry of Fukushima Dailchi. The precaution the Japanese government did into protecting and to save livelihood of the community with its levels of radiation which call for the evacuation of over a 100,000 people. We will also take a look at the development of what it might cost for rebuilding and clean-up operation.

What had transpired on March 11, 2011 was an epic disaster for Japan and its people. The magnitude 9.0 earthquake devastated the coastal area just about 2:46 pm. The region development was swept with a powerful backlash from the seafloor quake causing a 560sq km tsunami. “The earthquake was centred 130 km offshore the city of Sendai in Miyagi prefecture on the eastern cost of Honshu Island (the main part of Japan), and was a rare and complex double quake giving a severe duration of about 3 minutes.” (Fukushima Accident October 2017).

The death toll stands at about 19,000 people and over million building destroyed. (Fukushima Accident October 2017).  One main destruction that endanger the inhabitant was the Electric Power Plant that utilizes nuclear fuel at the Fukushima Dailchi. The area of Fukushima institutes instilled 11 Nuclear reactors which 4 played in a critical role in why the evacuations need to be done of over 100,000 people. The plant core rods need water to keep them cool; but in reactor four, the ventilation wasn’t working causing drying out of the ponds. The complication of the tsunami mixing salt water with fresh water wasn’t the major concern of the rods over heating, but it still left Tepco Corporation very concern. In the course of Reactor 1 – 3 nuclear core failing the Japanese government implement a level 7 emergency warning which is as high as Chernobyl accident in Russia in 1986, which “the resulting steam explosion and fires released at least 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the atmosphere and downwind.” (World Nuclear News (updated November 2016)). With radioactive ions particles in the air evacuation precautions was issue and planning phases. Sections of the city where moved 20 km away from the nuclear site and the employee of Fukushima Dailchi was not permitted to stay at the living quarter. “Tepco sprayed a dust-suppressing polymer resin around the plant to ensure that fallout for Mid-March was not mobilized by wind or rain.” (Fukushima Accident. Updated November 2017). The government housed many of the evacuee in gymnasium rooms where the safety of the people was deplorable. “Tepco had checked the radiation exposure of 19,594 people who had worked on the site since 11 March.” (Fukushima Accident 2017). Many of the workers was checked positive of iodine-131 fumes. There were 81,000 evacuees able to return to some of the areas and many of them with server stress which was more important than the radiological hazards. “There were also 267,000 tsunami survivor refugees remaining displaced in February 2014.” (Fukushima Accident 2017). The government consider purchasing the land that is severally contaminated with radiation and people that need more time to decontaminate their property the move-back will continue to be housed. The government did all that they could to overcome the natural disaster of the earthquake that struck Japan in 2011 and for the most case Tepco reported that no one dies from radiation poisoning because of the evacuation procedure but the great force of the tsunami did take a lot of the coastal life of Japan. Shipping had to be re-establish and overseas shipping orders had to be put on hold until the docks was redeveloped. For Fukushima scientist came over from the United States to help with re-establishing the safety of the nuclear power plant. The radiation contamination in the water was lead to be absorbed; some escape out into the ocean and reactor 1-4 was stabilized. Because of this event that took place it’s unlikely that we should see an event like this for some time again.    

Resources

Hunziker. R 2015. “The Safety Culture of Nuclear Power.” Image. The Ohio State University. February 2018

Chernobyl Accident 1986, World Nuclear Association, 2016, 2017,2018. Webpage: http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident.aspx. February 28, 2018

Fukushima Accident. “World Nuclear Association.” 2016, 2017, 2018. Webpage: http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/fukushima-accident.aspx. February 28, 2018