Worst-Ever Nuke Accident in Japan Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit ............................................................... collection of articles posted by EarthFirst! (see end) Thu, 30 Sep 1999 11:06:03 -0400 source - Michael Mariotte There has been a significant nuclear accident at the fuel fabrication plant in Tokai, Japan. The accident apparently involved an inadvertent criticality at the plant, which makes fuel for atomic reactors. It's believed that this fuel was being fabricated for Japan's MOX program, although no plutonium is believed involved. The accident began about 10:30 am, local time, September 30, 1999. Radiation levels reportedly reached 10,000 times background, and are now said to be about 3600 times background in the area. Some 160 residents have been evacuated, and residents within a 10 kilometer (six mile) radius of the plant have been told to stay indoors. Schoolchildren in the area reportedly were not allowed to go home, but had to stay inside at school. During the afternoon, it began to rain. Three plant workers were sent by helicopter to a special facility operated by Japan's National Institute of Radiological Sciences. Two were reportedly in critical condition. We do not yet know if the criticality has been contained or stopped. We are posting all information we receive, as we receive it, on our website, http://www.nirs.org Michael Mariotte Nuclear Information and Resource Service ITEM #2 Thu, 30 Sep 1999 17:40:14 +0900 "Citizen's Nuclear Information Center" Criticality Accident at Tokai, Ibaraki A serious nuclear accident has happened at Tokai, Ibaraki. We thought it necessary to inform you of this accident. Mr. Takagi has been asked to be interviewed by a number of radio and T.V. stations and he might be on T.V. news in America. We will inform you of the station and the schedule if that is the case. Please feel free to inquire us of any further questions. Following is the e-mail news sent by CNIC: Worst Ever Accident Within Japan at Tokai, Ibaraki Information Part 1 30 September 1999 There was a nuclear accident at a test facility in the JCO Ltd.'s uranium processing plant located in Tokai, Ibaraki. It happened at 10:35 am Japanese Standard Time (+900) on 30 September, 1999. Initially, an atmospheric radiation count of 0.84 mSv/hour (10,000 times of the annual dose limit) was monitored, but the local government has announced that the radiation count is back to normal. The Science and Technology Agency (STA) has announced that it was a criticality accident. Three workers were exposed because of the accident, and the exposed workers taken to a local hospital were later transferred by a helicopter to the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Chiba City, east of Tokyo, in order to treat the acute radiation injuries. They seem to have inhaled high concentration uranium gas. Two of the three exposed workers are reported to be in a critical condition. The facility in which the accident occurred is a commercial plant where enriched UF6 gas is converted into UO2 powder for further processing. The pellet fabrication is done in another plant nearby. Police has declared the area of 200m radius of the site to be an off-limit zone. The local government (Tokai-mura administration) issued an evacuation request to the residents of the surrounding 350m radius of the site. All the villagers residing outside the 350m radius were asked to stay indoors. School children are ordered not to go home, but remain indoors at each school. Naka-machi, a town next to Tokai mura, also advised the residents to remain indoors. The cause and details of the accident has not yet been disclosed. CNIC will release a statement as soon as enough materials are collected, however, we will keep people post on any further details gathered. According to T.V. news around 6 p.m., the head of Tokai village stressed three points at a press conference. 1) The atmospheric radiation count has not decreased around the site. 2) There is a possibility that nuclear fission is still occurring at the moment. 3) The plant's structure is intact. The radiation count is still high and not even JCO workers can enter the site. No one is aware of the situation inside the plant and nothing is being done. Thus it is very likely that the criticality condition is still in progress. Latest news as of 9 p.m. 1) Ibaraki prefecture has advised the residents of 10km radius of the plant to stay indoors. 2) Government has set up a committee head by Obuchi prime minister to respond to the situation. The cabinet organization will be put off for the moment to fully cope with this situation. 3) Atmospheric radiation count was 0.7milisievert per hour (mSv/h) at 3 p.m. Normal count is 1milisievert per year (mSv/y). 4) Two of the three workers hospitalized are suspected to have been seriously exposed due to a sudden increase of white blood corpuscle experienced by both of them. 5) 160 people have evacuated to a community center. The evacuees will have to spend the night at the center. -end- Citizens' Nuclear Information Center 1-58-15-3F, Higashi-nakano, Nakano-ku,Tokyo, Japan Phone: +81-3-5330-9520 Fax: +81-3-5330-9530 _/_/_/_/ cnic-jp@po.iijnet.or.jp _/_/_/ cnic@kiwi.ne.jp _/_/ cnic@jca.ax.apc.org _/ http://www.jca.ax.apc.org/cnic/ ITEM #3 BBC Reports (ERRONEOUSLY?) that explosion blows hole in roof at Japan plant Thu, 30 Sep 1999 12:41:21 -0400 http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/asia-pacific/newsid_461000/461446.stm ITEM #4 source -happen@pipeline.com Re: Criticality Accident at Tokai, Ibaraki Thu, 30 Sep 1999 17:49:27 -0400 I am suspecting confusion and an error on part of the BBC news in London. Their earlier report shows a hole in the roof and describes this current accident. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/asia-pacific/newsid_461000/461446.stm But, the most recent BBC report makes no mention of an explosion or a hole. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/asia-pacific/newsid_462000/462090.stm No one else has reported an explosion including news crews in Japan. If there is one thing we learned at Three Mile Island it is that confusion reigns. Scott Portzline Three Mile Island Alert someone will be discussing this accident on Sightings radio this evening. www.sightings.com ITEM #5 Andy Caffrey, founder Hayduke Rocks! an Earth First! Media and Action Network [previously aka EF! Media Center] We're trying to remove the obstacles to your involvement and bring more people together to do more powerful things. Why not print out this e-mail and share it with your friends and cohorts who don't use computers? 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