Five years after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Fukushima, there is still no clear answer as to whether the nuclear plant will be safely decommissioned. The Japanese government has commissioned Lake Barrett to provide guidance on decommissioning the nuclear power plant. But there are still issues. What can be done? And what should be the next step? A 73-year-old evacuee has spoken at a rally held in Tokyo last week.
“Fukushima’s radiation levels are still too high to be considered safe,” says Naoto Kan, former Japanese prime minister. But the radiation levels are a major cause for concern, and it is vital that we understand how to reduce them. The nuclear disaster has devastated Japan and its economy, forcing the country to adjust its economy. This situation has sparked widespread social unrest and has led to a lack of trust among people.
In the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear accident, there have been several incidents of unprofessionalism. In a recent incident, a construction company president was arrested for allegedly dispatching workers to Fukushima under misleading circumstances. One worker claimed he was paid $17,000 per day but was only paid $8,000 after the middlemen took their cut. Another case involved a crane operator and supervisor illegally dumping radioactive plant debris. These violations have resulted in the suspension of five companies responsible for running the plant.
Since the nuclear disaster, TEPCO has been pumping hundreds of tons of water into Fukushima to try and stop the radiation. Currently, there are more than 800,000 tons of highly radioactive water sitting in tanks near the plant site. In addition, the Japanese government has spent $1.5 billion collecting radioactive earth and soil and storing it in industrial-sized black bags. The government is still investigating the effects of this disaster on the ocean, but the future remains uncertain.
Amid the devastation, Japan is still working to repair the damaged area. But the decontamination campaign is ongoing. About 26,000 workers are still working to restore the power plant’s reliability. Thousands of them are in charge of the clean-up. But what are the results? The cleanup process is far from perfect. There are still some issues that remain. And while the atomic reactors in Japan are still dangerous, their cooling systems and safety measures are ineffective.
A new report warns of a lack of progress in Japan’s decommissioning efforts. Despite a lack of information, there are still millions of people still living in the disaster zone. The Japanese government is in a state of “decommissioning” phase. Many of these people cannot return home. Some even live in a temporary shelter. However, the radiation levels in the area are too high to go back there.
