Fukushima evacuation

Fukushima Radiation Exceeds Chernobyl Evacuation Levels Across Japan

SimplyInfo,

2 December, 2013

The contamination from Fukushima did not fall in concentric circles as the evacuation zones imply. Contamination from the disaster is also not uniform is where it concentrates. By comparing the Chernobyl evacuation zone standards to the contamination levels in Japan it gave a startling view of the problem. The USSR was never faulted for being overly cautious in their evacuation around Chernobyl.

The map represents the mandatory and voluntary evacuation zone radiation level from Chernobyl, applied to the fallout across Japan from Fukushima.  The purple is the mandatory levels, the green voluntary. The levels from Chernobyl are:

1 millsievert/year = 0.1142 uSv/h (microsieverts per hour)

5 millisievert/year = 0.5708 uSv/h (microsieverts per hour)

Some areas far from the actual evacuation zone have levels as high as the mandatory evacuation zone in Chernobyl. Pockets of high radiation were found in Myiagi, Iwate, Gunma, Tochigi and even Tokyo. The voluntary zone takes up a considerable amount of the eastern mainland of Japan. After Chernobyl the USSR compensated anyone in a voluntary zone if they decided to leave. Meanwhile Japan is trying to repopulate areas of the evacuation zone near the plant.

We created three maps using the original fallout map created by professor Hayakawa. The main colored map shows the two zones on the professor’s map with two on a black and white map for clearer reference. Print copies of professor Hayakawa’s map can be purchased through the CRMS website.

The fallout mapping is based on 2011 data but has been updated periodically. Even with decay rates and contaminant migration the levels should be somewhat the same today as the maps are based on cesium 137 only. Other isotopes would add to the total contamination levels present. This problem was beginning to be known by September of 2011 when we documented that 250km from Fukushima Daiichi had levels as high as Chernobyl’s evacuation zones.

 Mandatory and voluntary Chernobyl zones matched to Japan and displayed on professor Hiyakawa’s map of Japan’s mainland.

  Mandatory and voluntary Chernobyl zones matched to Japan

Mandatory Chernobyl zones matched to Japan

Prefectures with mandatory areas
Fukushima
Tochigi
Gunma
Tokyo
Miyagi
Iwate

Prefectures with voluntary areas
Iwate
Akita
Yamagata
Miyagi
Fukushima
Niigata
Tochigi
Ibaraki
Tokyo
Chiba
Saitama
Gunma

Larger cities with mandatory areas
Tokyo
Fukushima City
Koriyama

Larger cities with voluntary areas
Mito
Saitama City
Sendai
Yamagata City