Expert predicts doubling of Fukushima cleanup costs; First Nations want radiation testing of fish

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      A Canadian-born  nuclear-energy expert has predicted that the it will cost at least $120 billion to clean up the mess left by the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.

      In an interview with ResourceClips, Thomas Drolet said that it will take 12 to 15 years to convert the Fukushima Daiichi site "back to brownfield condition".

      "Of the government and TEPCO cost estimates, the biggest I’ve seen in print is about $60 billion," Drolet told journalist Greg Klein. "My opinion? Double that.”

      Drolet, a former president and CEO of Ontario Hydro International, also linked relatively low uranium prices to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, which led to the closure of all of the country's nuclear reactors.

      Uranium prices are below (U.S.)$36 per pound—an eight-year low—prompting Paladin Energy to suspend a mining operation in Malawi.

      Paladin recently reported a loss of (U.S.)$255 million in the six months ending on December 31.

      Meanwhile here in B.C., the North Shore News has reported that several First Nations leaders—including Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs president Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and Tahlton Central Council president Annita McPhee—want the federal government to conduct systematic tests of radiation levels in fish from the Pacific Ocean.

      Reuben George, a well-known member of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, told the paper that he's personally reluctant to eat fish.

      Reuben George is one of several First Nations leaders worried about radiation levels in salmon.
      Charlie Smith

      Comments

      10 Comments

      Hiroshi Suzuki

      Feb 15, 2014 at 11:56am

      A Japanese Physician Is Encouraging the Evacuation of Tokyo
      February 14, 2014 Nelson Groom Journalistic Endeavours

      The physician has tested patients living in Tokyo, and the physician has found harmful symptoms.
      There have been abnormalities in the patients’ differential white-blood-cell count. The physician has seen a decline in the neutrophil component in white blood cells. The decline can lead to fatal conditions like septicemia.

      The physician can’t prescribe anything to the patients, because there are NOT any medicines to help.
      The physician has seen patients living in Tokyo who are badly affected, but when the patients move to western Japan, the patients get better. After the patients come back to Tokyo, it gets worse again.
      The physician recommends that anyone living in Tokyo head to western Japan 1 or 2 months out of the year.

      In Japan, commercial distribution is prosperous, so the contaminated food is definitely coming to Tokyo. Many people claim that we have to eat the local products to sustain the economy, but the physician thinks that we should be testing everything thoroughly, and that at least children should be spared from eating food with any risk of contamination.

      Barry

      Feb 15, 2014 at 1:33pm

      TEPCO has been irresponsible, negligent and just plain lying to everyone from the start! Those in charge should be removed from TEPCO and prosecuted for crimes against humanity! I hope they go to prison! An international team of both medical and nuclear experts need to take over this disaster situation to stabilize this nuclear power plant to minimize the damage being done to the Fukushima area, the Pacific Ocean and everything that lives in it and eats from it! Since nothing has been done to remove the radiation from the people that have already been radiated the mineral Medical grade Clinoptilolite zeolite should be provided to safely remove the radiation and heavy metals that are causing huge health problems that will only get worse as time goes by!

      Geraldine Chase

      Feb 15, 2014 at 11:32pm

      I'm with Reuben George, I'm afraid to eat fish or any sea food due to the radiation spill , from Japan it come this way to the Pacific Northwest, it needs to be tested.

      I ain't buyin.

      Feb 16, 2014 at 9:04am

      How does Rueben feel about selling the fish?

      Hiroshi Suzuki

      Feb 16, 2014 at 10:36am

      Fukushima worker “5,000,000 Bq/L of Strontium-90 water got on the boots” / Tokyo Electric “I’m sorry.”
      February 8th, 2014 Fukushima Diary

      Fukushima workers were building the underground wall only a few meters away from the location that Fukushima workers measured 5,000,000 Bq/L of Strontium-90 from the groundwater of. However, Tokyo Electric did NOT inform the workers of the contamination level for over half a year.

      The extremely contaminated water got on the boots of Fukushima workers while Fukushima workers were injecting the chemical material underground. Fukushima workers had to pile macadams up to 1m high with the lead plate on the top to avoid the contamination, according to Tokyo Electric.

      The press asked Tokyo Electric about the responsibility of “delayed” announcement in the press conference. Tokyo Electric showed a certain kind of emotion, which is very rare, and commented “I’m sorry.” Tokyo Electric seems aware of the potential health effect of exposure.

      Jim

      Feb 16, 2014 at 1:50pm

      are they saying we have been breathing and eating radiation since the 1940 maybe this is way there is no cure for cancer.

      Doug

      Feb 17, 2014 at 5:50pm

      The First Nations may be the wisest people in North America . I stand beside them on testing of all marine catches and they know full well their never told the truth. This puts them in a position to question everything their being told , and to first assume their being lied to. Harper wants to educate them so they can no longer think for themselves. United they stand and divided they will fall. Really they have nothing left to lose.

      Rick

      Feb 17, 2014 at 8:21pm

      The fact that Canada and the U.S refuse to test fish is a clear indication that ANY food from the Pacific ocean is not safe to eat. The disaster at Fukushima cannot be stopped, No human can perform work on units 1,2 and 3. Not now and not ever. We can only wait for the spent fuel pool disasters to happen. Go to the Fairewinds website and observe Arnie Gundersons videos and reports. Tepco and Japan continue to lie about the severity of Fukushima, and our government stands with Japan.

      Dee

      Feb 18, 2014 at 9:06pm

      Nuclear whistleblower Ann Harris said this about radiation—>

      “You can’t clean it out of the water

      You can’t clean it out of the air

      You can’t clean it out of the soil

      The only thing you can do is move it around.”

      They will spend Trillions of dollars moving the radiation around; meanwhile causing countless numbers of detrimental health effects to humans exposed to the radiation, and mutating DNA in all LIFE exposed to the radiation.

      Ann Harris interview here:
      youtube /watch?v=77vkuPtqN4A

      Guest

      Feb 18, 2014 at 9:17pm

      For over 3 weeks in March and April of 2011, radiation from Japan's meltdowns was detected in the U.S.

      Why weren't people told to stay inside as much as possible; to keep their families inside as much as possible; and instructed to take other protective measures during those 3 weeks of detectable radiation in the U.S.?

      http://arxiv.org/abs/1312.7314

      Instead "they" justified YOUR exposure to radiation with some ridiculous and untested mantra that it was within "safe" levels.

      Dr. Gofman said in his book "Poisoned Power: The Case Against Nuclear Power" that these supposed "safe" levels are pulled out of a hat.

      The levels are whatever the nuclear industry needs them to be to keep being financially flush.

      The book "Poisoned Power, The Case Against Nuclear Power" is available to read free on-line:
      http://www.ratical.org/radiation/CNR/PP/