Toshiba decontamination bot to scrub No. 1 plant

Feb 16, 2013

Toshiba decontamination bot to scrub No. 1 plant

by Kazuaki Nagata

Toshiba Corp. on Friday unveiled a prototype of its remotely operated decontamination robot that it expects to help clean up the Fukushima No. 1 plant’s radiation-zapped reactor buildings as early as this summer. The robot — which can withstand radiation up to 100 sieverts, ...

Feb 15, 2013

Roof of Chernobyl plant caves in

A section of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine collapsed under the weight of snow, officials said Wednesday, raising new concerns about the condition of the facility, which suffered the world’s worst nuclear catastrophe. There were no injuries after Tuesday’s accident or any ...

Osaka votes down health-damages ordinance

Feb 4, 2013

Osaka votes down health-damages ordinance

by Eric Johnston

Members of Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto’s local party, Osaka Ishin no Kai, and New Komeito, which form the ruling coalition in the municipal assembly, voted against an ordinance proposal Monday that would have clarified the city’s financial responsibilities in the event of health problems ...

Jan 29, 2013

Fukushima kids' thyroids said safe

Radiation levels in the thyroid glands of 1-year-old children living around the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant are estimated to be less than 30 millisieverts in most cases, a research team at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences said Sunday. The figure ...

Jan 25, 2013

Nuclear regulators present criteria for evacuation in emergencies

The Nuclear Regulation Authority proposed stricter criteria Thursday for evacuation and other protective actions against radiation exposure as part of efforts to flesh out atomic disaster mitigation guidelines. According to a draft of revised guidelines, the NRA said people living outside a 5-km radius ...

Dec 1, 2012

Taking iodine before fallout hits is key: NRA

The Nuclear Regulation Authority released Friday the results of a computer simulation on how the use of iodine tablets by people around nuclear plants can protect their thyroids from excessive exposure to radiation in the event of a severe catastrophe. The NRA’s estimate, compiled ...