Greenpeace calls on new Japan PM to delay school start for Fukushima kids

Tokyo, August 29, 2011 – Greenpeace today called on the Japan’s incoming Prime Minister to delay the September 1st opening of schools in Fukushima City, after a Greenpeace radiation monitoring team found dose rates exceeding international safety standards (1). The international environmental organisation also described the government’s announcement of new “basic decontamination plan” for the greater Fukushima area as deplorably late and inadequate.

© Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert / Greenpeace On August 17, 18 and 19, a Greenpeace radiation monitoring team surveyed a high school, preschool, and childcare centre, as well as several public areas in Fukushima City. The team found dose rates of up to 1.5 µSv/h 1m from the ground at one school despite having been decontaminated by the authorities, and up to 2 µSv/h at 1m at a park in the city centre (2), showing that official clean-up efforts are not sufficient to protect children’s health.“No parent should have to choose between radiation exposure and education for their child”, said Kazue Suzuki, Greenpeace Japan nuclear campaigner. “The long overdue clean up plan (3) will deliver too little too late - Japan’s new Prime Minister must delay the start of school, immediately relocate those in high-risk areas, and mobilise the thousands of workers that are needed to get radiation dose rates as far below 1mSv/y as possible (4)”.The Greenpeace team found that while average dose rates remain above the international maximum allowed dose of 1 mSv/y in many places already decontaminated by the authorities, decreased levels of radiation were recorded in locations where local communities had carried out further clean up activities.&ld...