Japan Radiation Release Long-Term Problem, France’s ASN Says
The release of radiation from the crippled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant will be a problem for Japan for years to come, according to the French nuclear watchdog.
“We are at the beginning of the post-accident phase,” Andre-Claude Lacoste, head of the Paris-based Autorite de Surete Nucleaire, said at a press conference in Paris today. “Japan will have to deal with the consequences of this accident for decades.”
Radioactive contamination, which has been “significant,” could spread to as far as 100 kilometers (62 miles) around the site, he said. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said radiation levels found in Japanese food aren’t harmful while distribution of spinach and milk will be limited after samples had higher-than-normal radiation levels.
At the stricken nuclear plant 135 miles north of Tokyo owned by Tokyo Electric Power Co., workers were evacuated from reactor No. 3 after smoke was seen rising from the roof of the building at around 5 p.m. today, the nuclear safety agency said. Temperatures of pools holding spent fuel rods have cooled in the past 24 hours, indicating the effect of thousands of tons of sea water sprayed over the reactors since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which knocked out cooling systems and water pumps.
Making Progress
The French watchdog appeared to be less upbeat about the situation at Fukushima than Japanese authorities. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said he could see “light at the end of the tunnel” as Tepco said it had connected power to No. 3 and No. 4 reactors and was making progress in connecting reactors No. 1 and No. 2.
“The situation is not changing much,” Lacoste said, adding that he would consider the atomic installation “stabilized” when a lasting cooling system has been put in place to replace “emergency measures” of dousing reactors and spent-fuel pools with seawater from helicopters and fire trucks, which is adding to radioactive contamination.
Getting power connected to the site is a “positive” step and doesn’t provide guarantees that cooling systems will work, Lacoste said.
“What is the state of the pumps and cooling circuits? This will take more time to determine,” he said. “We are far from reestablishing the cooling system.”
“Extremely low” radioactivity from the Japanese site will reach mainland France March 23 and won’t pose any risk to public health, according to the French organization. The level will be between 1,000 and 10,000 less than what reached the country following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tara Patel in Paris at tpatel2@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story Will Kennedy at wkennedy3@bloomberg.net
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