Clip Reel – Greenpeace Radiation Survey
Exclusion Zone Area 3, Namie, Fukushima Prefecture
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 2017
LOCATION: NAMIE, EXCLUSION ZONE (AREA 3) FUKUSHIMA PREFECTURE, JAPAN
NATURAL SOUND
DURATION: 27.47min
SOURCE: GREENPEACE
ACCESS ALL, NO RESTRICTIONS. ALL MATERIAL GREENPEACE COPYRIGHT.
SUMMARY
Nearly seven years after the triple reactor meltdown, this unique nuclear crisis is still underway.
Greenpeace is conducting radiation surveys in the exclusion zone of Namie, which lies north and
north west of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. In March 2011, the radioactive fallout from the
nuclear plant had deposited high levels of contamination in this mountainous area of Namie.
Measuring thousands of points around homes, forests and farmland, its clear that this is an area that
should not be opened to the public for many years. Yet the government opened a main artery, route
114, while Greenpeace were working in Namie. One consequence is that people are stopping off
and visiting areas high in radiation. At one house Greenpeace surveyed, radiation hot spots were
over 11 microsieverts at 1 meter, and 137 microsieverts at 10 centimeters. The latter is 3400 times
above the background level before the nuclear accident. Two people were working 10 meters away
with no dosimeters or protective clothing. In Obori, Greenpeace measurements would lead to an
annual dose of 101 mSv, more than one hundred times higher than the international safety limit.
The results of Greenpeace 2017 survey in the Namie exclusion zone published on 1st March 2018,
in “Reflections in Fukushima”, reveal that radiation levels will remain a long term risk for human
health for many decades and into next century.
The Japanese government has approved plans to begin decontamination in May 2018 in the
exclusion zone of Namie with the aim of opening it for people to live by 2023 - why ? The
government is desperate to restart nuclear reactors – while today only 3 are operating. Having areas
of Japan closed to human habitation because of radioactive contamination is a major obstacle to the
governments ambitions.
The report is being released as the Japanese government is under international diplomatic pressure
to accept recommendations made by member states at the United Nations Human Rights Council in
Geneva, On 16th March 2018, the government will announce whether it will accept or reject each of
the recommendations. If accepted and applied it would effectively end the current policy of lifting
evacuation orders, terminating financial housing support, including for 29,000 self evacuees, as well
as addressing some of the multiple other violations of Japan’s human rights commitments
perpetrated by the government against Fukushima citizens.
SHOTLIST
00.00-00.17 - Official radiation monitoring station at school in Tsushima, Namie exclusion zone,
and children’ play area
00.18-00.37 - Greenpeace radiation survey team arriving at house near route 114 in Namie
exclusion zone
00.38-00.56 - Greenpeace radiation survey team creating zones for survey work
00.57-00.59 - Ground measurement of hot spot – 7 microsieverts per hour (background was 0.04
in March 2011 before accident)
01.00-01.14 - Survey team at house
01.15-01.27 - Radiation hot spot measuring
01.28-02.31 - Greenpeace radiation specialist explaining to visiting woman on radiation risks at
house
02.32-03.36 – Survey around house and in nearby undergrowth
03.37-05.19 - Greenpeace radiation specialist, Heinz Smital explaining the high levels of hots
spots at warehouse building – reaching 137 microsieverts per hour at 10cm - 3,400 times above
background in March 2011 before accident's, and Go pro images of radiation sensor
05.20-05.59 – Survey in bamboo forest
06.00-06.25 – Abandoned mechanical digger covered in undergrowth along route 114
06.26-08.04 Greenpeace survey team members Laurence Bergot and Mai Suzuki at Tsushima
sch