Ten years after the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, radiation levels in most of Fukushima Prefecture no longer restrict everyday activities, local officials said at the release of two reports on the outcomes of a cooperation project with the IAEA over the last eight years. They thanked the IAEA for the advice it provided – based on international expertise, experience and best practices – in radiation monitoring, decontamination and the management of radioactive waste arising from decontamination activities as well as in information dissemination related to the three technical areas.
Large quantities of radioactive particles were released into the environment as a result of the explosion at the plant, and an 1150 square kilometer area around and to the northwest of the plant was declared an evacuation zone. While the decrease in radioactivity levels since the accident is primarily the result of natural processes, the efforts by the Prefecture government with the assistance of the IAEA have contributed significantly to the fall in radiation levels in inhabited areas, said Haruo Uemuro, Director General of the Fukushima Prefectural Centre for Environmental Creation.
The accident at Fukushima Daiichi was the worst emergency at a nuclear power plant since the Chornobyl explosion in 1986. It was triggered by a tsunami that followed a massive earthquake. While the national government has the primary responsibility for the management of the plant itself and of the evacuation zones, prefecture and municipal authorities are in charge of decontamination, the management of radioactive waste, remediation and radiation monitoring in the wider area.
Since 2012, the IAEA has provided extensive assistance to the authorities of Fukushima Prefecture in areas related to radiation monitoring and remediation, in order to ensure on-going protection of people and the environment from ionizing radiation. The assistance is an example of IAEA support to authorities in dealing with the consequences of the accidental release of radioactive substances into the environment.
“With the exception of the Difficult-to-Return Zone, area-wide decontamination has been completed for most residential buildings, public facilities and agricultural land and radiation levels, allowing for everyday activities to continue as before the accident,” Uemuro said. “This is in a large part thanks to our joint efforts with the IAEA.”
Since the establishment of the initial evacuation zones, restrictions have been either fully or partially lifted in many areas. Currently, evacuation designated zones occupy 337 square kilometers – just 2.4% of the prefecture.
Area-wide decontamination has been completed for most residential buildings, public facilities and agricultural land and radiation levels, allowing for everyday activities to continue as before the accident. This is in a large part thanks to our joint efforts with the IAEA.