“When we discuss Fukushima, the tragedy which happened a year ago, of course we should speak about things connected with the word “tragedy” directly. 20,000 victims, because responsible security measures, not only in atomic energy, were broken,” first deputy director of the Institute for Problems of Safe Development of Atomic Energy, Rafael Arutyunayan, told journalists yesterday about future of atomic energy in the context of first anniversary of the tragedy at Fukushima.
Activity of Russian experts during the tragedy
Our institute within the Academy of Science deals with security problems. The Technical Crisis Center has been in existence since 1996. A significant number of our employees, about 30 people, directly participated in eliminating the consequences of the accident at Chernobyl. We even have an employee who worked on the territory of the Kashtym Tread. The Technical Crisis Center is a strict formal structure, which provides expert support in case of radiation incidents and accidents around-the-clock, coordinating with Rosatom and EMERCOM. We have certain experts, the scientific and technical base, computer programs, models and knowledge. Thus, on March 11th, since it was clear that an earthquake had taken place, we began our work and fulfilling our duties – answering questions by the Emergency Ministry connected with the population of Russia.
On March 12th we analyzed the situation at the Fukushima-1 station, saw that they had lost control and predicted the worst scenario for the Russian population. The answer was clear and simple: whatever the scenarios of the development of the tragedy at Fukushima-1 were, there would be no radiation consequences for the population of Russia. We signed it and sent this analytic prediction to Rosatom and the Emergency Ministry. EMERCOM relied on this data for their further steps in the Far East, first of all.
Then, we dealt with the situation at Fukushima and in Japan. 2-3 days later we got a picture, which provided us with realistic estimation of the events which in each block. We could prepare initial data. As the station is foreign, we had to get information for modeling the situation. We partially used the automatic system of the control of radiation situation in the territory of Japan. Beyond Fukushima the sensors, which service the Ministry of Education and Science, were working and sending information to the Internet. It was really important information for us, which enabled us to work and check practical data, which we received from the sensors. On March 17th we estimated the whole radiation situation in Japan, we made maps and appraisals for next year. And since that time everything stayed the same.
Radiation situation in Japan one year on
Initially there was a lack of information, because the Japanese didn’t understand the whole situation completely. But now thick volumes have been published on the internet, where you can see the radiation situation. Our appraisal that there are no risks to the population’s health was confirmed. It is not a surprise, as science is science – what had to happen - happened.
However, the accident was heavy. It should be realized that in three blocks active zones of the reactor were seriously damaged. In the fourth block a hydrogen explosion damaged the rigging, as well as in the first and third. The entire emission into the environment was about 0.1% of the emission of the Chernobyl tragedy. But the radiation doses are not dangerous for the people who live there.
Japanese authorities’ activity
The decisions made by the Japanese authorities are similar to those made in 1990 in Russia. They are reconsidering the radiation factor. That is why no decisions on what should they do with these territories have been made yet. It makes the situation tense. Any decision understandable to the population is better than absence of decision. There is an announced, but unfulfilled decision that the zones with more than 20 milliziverts are the zones of unnecessary evacuation, but the authorities are ready for evacuation of these territories.
