http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110503p2g00m0dm017000c.htmlRelaxed radiation dose rule for children draws flak
(Mainichi Japan) May 3, 2011 TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The education ministry's radiation dose rule for children at schools near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has drawn flak, resulting in the resignation of Toshiso Kosako, a prominent scholar hired as an adviser to Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
Kan has justified the dose limit of 20 milliseiverts per year -- for use in judging whether pupils should be allowed to play outdoors -- citing a view provided by the government's Nuclear Safety Commission that said it is appropriate.
The issue, however, may turn out to be a "big bombshell" for the government as calls have been growing even within the ruling Democratic Party of Japan to retract the limit, a DPJ source said.
On Friday, Toshiso Kosako, a professor in the University of Tokyo's graduate school, said at a news conference, "Radiation exposure close to 20 millisieverts per year is extremely rare even for people engaged in (nuclear) business. It's unacceptable to apply this figure to infants, toddlers and primary school pupils, and I strong protest this and urge it be reviewed."
Trying to contain tears, Kosako, a radiation safety expert, also said, "If people say I accommodated it in my capacity as adviser, my career as a scholar ends there."
Kosako challenged a decision made April 19 by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology on limiting pupils' radiation exposure in outdoor activities at schools in Fukushima Prefecture to "3.8 microsieverts per hour outdoors" based on the yardstick of 20 millisieverts per year in cumulative radiation dose.
According to a DPJ source, the ministry noted that a stricter dose limit would necessitate school closures or relocation of school children. The source was told that the ministry was concerned that children may feel stressed if they get bullied at relocated schools or get anxious about radiation levels.
The ministry's dose figure was apparently backed by the nuclear safety panel's view that said it was a legitimate level. At a session of the House of Councillors' budget committee on Saturday, Prime Minister Kan said, "We have made a judgment after gaining advise from the safety panel. It was not a haphazard move."
Education minister Yoshiaki Takagi said the decision was made "based on concerns about children's psychology and advise of the safety panel."
But immediately after the remarks, it was unveiled that the safety commission replied that the government's yardstick plan was (deemed) appropriate only two hours after the advise was sought, without holding a formal meeting of its members, questioning the "legitimacy" of the panel's view on the government's move.
One DPJ lawmaker said, "It was something decided by a division chief adviser at the education ministry and the way it was decided is questionable. The safety panel also did not serve its function."
Criticism is growing within the DPJ. Kazuhiro Haraguchi, minister of internal affairs and communications in a previous DPJ government, also voiced the need to rework the dose criteria in a twitter post.
Radiation safety experts cite placing priority on removing radioactive materials from the school compound.
Ryushi Ichikawa, former deputy chief of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences, for instance, said, "Efforts should be made to lower radiation doses on-site as much as possible. A yardstick should be set after reasonable measures are taken at each school about decontamination or possible relocations."
Yet, the government apparently did not share such sense of crisis at least initially. As of April 25, an official of the education ministry's school health education unit, said the ministry "was not considering decontamination."
At last, on Saturday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the government "would like to do what it can as much as possible" such as decontamination. Prime Minister Kan also showed a positive stance on the issue, saying, "I have issued instructions to tackle it steadfastly even though there are problems such as finding places to accommodate soil (from school grounds)."
On the same day, Hiroshi Tsuboi, councilor at the education ministry, said at a news conference, "We would like to undertake steps to lower radiation doses." But he said no specific support measures have been considered yet.
Masako Sawai of the Citizens' Nuclear Information Center, said, "It has not been shown on what ground or reasons 20 millisieverts per year was set and no account has also been given on what impact children may have to face. I wonder how we can let children stay in such a place."
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
