A Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan task force decided on Nov. 1 to extend the area around nuclear power plants subject to emergency planning for nuclear accidents to a 30-kilometer radius, in line with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards, sources said.
A Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan task force decided on Nov. 1 to extend the area around nuclear power plants subject to emergency planning for nuclear accidents to a 30-kilometer radius, in line with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards, sources said.The new 30-kilometer Urgent Protective Action Planning Zone (UPZ) defines the area where plans need to be made for residents to stay indoors or evacuate safely if radiation levels exceed certain levels.Previously, the Japanese authorities had only prepared special plans for residents within an 8- to 10-kilometer radius around nuclear plants. The task force has also decided to designate a 5-kilometer radius around plants, called a Precautionary Action Zone (PAZ), in which immediate evacuation is required if a major nuclear accident occurs, regardless of whether radioactive substances are known to have been leaked.However, a proposal to create a new 50-kilometer radius designated zone around nuclear plants, where residents would be told to be prepared to remain indoors during a crisis and could be given iodine tablets, was not adopted by the commission. Although radiation contamination from the Fukushima accident has been more widespread than expected, the commission dropped the idea because of the difficulty of making preparations for zones including very large populations and many municipalities.Even the new 30-km zones are raising logistical concerns among prefectural governors. “If the area is expanded to a 30-kilometer radius, the project needs to cover 400,000 people in Shimane Prefecture and 60,000 people in Tottori Prefecture,” Shimane Prefecture Governor Zenbe Mizoguchi said. “But the schools, public halls and other buildings that can be used as evacuation centers in our prefecture can only hold 100,000 people.” Niigata Prefecture Governor Hirohiko Izumida said: “What will we do with people in need of special support and patients in hospitals (if a nuclear accident takes place)? Who is going to finance the cost of protective materials?” The commission’s task force has been tasked with reviewing the government’s guidelines for dealing with nuclear accidents.