Japanese Nuclear Plant Workers Say Radiation Death Is Inevitable

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant (Digital Globe/Reuters)

The Fukushima 50, the Japanese technicians who chose to stay behind in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to try to avert a meltdown after the deadly tsunami hit Japan last month, have reportedly resigned themselves to the fact that many or most of them will likely die in the upcoming weeks and months from radiation poisoning. “My son and his colleagues have discussed it at length and they have committed themselves to die if necessary to save the nation. He told me they have accepted they will all probably die from radiation sickness in the short term or cancer in the long-term,” the mother of a 32-year-old worker told FoxNews.

The workers have been struggling to prevent a meltdown to the four reactors which were critically damaged in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Since then, radiation has been leaking from the complex, contaminating food produced in surrounding farmland and seeping into groundwater beneath the site. Radiation has been detected in at least a 25 mile radius of the plant, and the workers, who wear nothing more than hazard suits sealed with duct tape, have been the most directly exposed. Around Japan, they have become heroes, and are known as atomic "samurai."

But they are also fully aware of the realities of working so closely to the damaged reactors: “They have concluded between themselves that it is inevitable some of them may die within weeks or months. They know it is impossible for them not to have been exposed to lethal doses of radiation,” said the mother.

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By Ben Yakas in News on April 1, 2011 5:29 PM

Comments [rss]

soflynolie

The Japanese gov't should offer to pay all their medical bills for life and give them a yearly stipend for the rest of their lives... modern-day heroes deserve as much.

proudliberal1947

Yes and the last word from the GOP,is to monitor the situation to see how Japan gets out of paying any benefits and try to stall and intensify any and all wrong doing on part of the employee, the word is out that they are to roll up as much of any and all benefits to be paid out to the survivors. Working quietly behind the International scene the GOP and its International conglomerates are already shaking their heads at the LOSS of Profits and Bonuses for the Year.

The GOP is in high gear with its sound byte people to suppress and misdirect all fears they are and will be working through the Scientific Community to use NON Disclosure statements to nullify and VOID any and all threats to the real Disaster at hand.

CNC041354

There is no doubt these worker are heroes and taking some very high risks. With that said at this point there is still a very low chance of any of the worker dying from radiation exposure. If their total exposure is kept below 1000 mSv none will die. The limit set by the Japanese government is now a maximum of 250 mSv.

From the UN IAEI web site:
On 31 March, NISA reported that among the workers at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, 21 workers have received doses exceeding 100 mSv. No worker has received a dose above 250 mSv, which is the dose limit for emergency workers.

There is just so much misinformation out there about this whole situation. This culture of fear of radiation is not rational.

CNC041354

There is no doubt these worker are heroes and taking some very high risks. With that said at this point there is still a very low chance of any of the worker dying from radiation exposure. If their total exposure is kept below 1000 mSv none will die. The limit set by the Japanese government is now a maximum of 250 mSv.

From the UN IAEI web site:
"On 31 March, NISA reported that among the workers at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, 21 workers have received doses exceeding 100 mSv. No worker has received a dose above 250 mSv, which is the dose limit for emergency workers."

There is just so much misinformation out there about this whole situation. This culture of fear of radiation is not rational.

matt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

GothamExtremist

Maybe Libya is a front afterall to take the worlds attention off this nuclear disaster, something turning more doomsday than anyone could ever imagine.

BlueberryAle

Hahaha what. Consider this nuclear 'disaster' for a moment:

The only people who got hurt: Workers who were aware of the risk and volunteered their lives

Civilians who suffered lasting radiation damage: 0

The ground water and food in the area is slightly tainted, but not in any way that is seriously damaging. Everyone except the workers will come out fine and the surrounding area will be anything BUT a dead zone once the temporary spike in radiation subsides.

It's basically just one step above 3 Mile Island in terms of what a 'disaster' it is. Considering the reactors that malfunctioned were about to be de-commisioned due to their age, and the plants were hit with several days of flooding which got into the electrical systems, it actually sort of proves how nuclear power can be easily contained even with such a devastating natural disaster.

You DO realize coal mine ash is MORE radioactive than nuclear waste, right? http://www.scientificamerican....

squirrel squirrel

I guess the real issue arising from THIS article, isn't addressed in the article you keep posting. What happens when a coal fire plant gets shaken up by an earthquake, hit by a tsunami, and suffers backup power failure? You have a busted up coal fire power plant. What happens when the same thing happens to a nuclear power plant? The situation we have been seeing on the news for a few weeks now. I am actually impressed that this is all that happened it took a lot to bust up that plant. But how much less would it take to achieve the same thing? There are cost to everything.

brooklynRick

Real Heroes. We need a balls out policy to build new up to date reactors here in the US.

dshsdoholhodfs

SO the US and other Nations are investing HUGE sums of $ to develop new NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS.... Meanwhile There are More than 38 States with HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE sitting idle, with NO PLAN for any type of SAFE disposal??!!!!
Where is the tipping point....? when we end up w/ MORE AND MORE tonnage of RADIOACTIVE WASTE...
$$$ ready to be invested to build MORE REACTORS... IGNORING the FACT we have yet to deal w/ existing NUCLEAR WASTE.
Oh.... and this is ROUTINE.... w/o even having a disaster or disruption to a FACILITY.... THE advocates say the USA would better handle a similar EMERGENCY , DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT, WHEN WE HAVE FAILED TO EVEN DEAL W/ SPENT FUEL WASTE?
We are told such facilities are to be considered Safe, and well Managed...Though BASIC running of the REACTORS has demonstrated an INABILITY to MANAGE them safely. How Can they be called SAFE if They have no way to deal with the inevitable Bi Product?
Again, this is normal operation, not taking into account the DANGERS from an event like what we now are seeing unfold in JAPAN.

Ryan sickles

Ohh! is this one of those hidden codes!?
SO US HUGE NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE NO PLAN SAFE MORE AND MORE RADIOACTIVE WASTE MORE REACTORS IGNORING FACT NUCLEAR WASTE ROUTINE FACILITY THE USA EMERGENCY DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE HAVE FAILED TO EVEN DEAL W SPENT FUEL WASTE BASIC REACTORS INABILITY MANAGE SAFE DANGERS JAPAN.

Oh...wait...

BlueberryAle

Also just putting this here: Coal mine ash is MORE radioactive than nuclear waste.

http://www.scientificamerican....

BlueberryAle

Actually, there are some really good, clean reactor designs around, but nuclear paranoia has made it impossible to build safer reactors. Building of reactors has been shut down in the US because of fear-mongering by people like you - there is a great desire to make nuclear power safer, as well as many great scientists who have done the work, but laymen go OH BOO BOO NUCLEAR RADIATION WE'LL ALL TURN INTO MUTANTS and instead are content to leave our current reactors as old and dangerous. Your very anti-nuc rant is actually making our country more dangerous. Enjoy!

bigmikebrooklyn

what he said. look up pebble reactors. pretty safe.

Ragingsemi

Kamikaze!

Jack Robert Mirus

That's not even close to funny.

SpideySense

These are the real heroes, people who risk and sacrifice their lives for the safety and good of their fellow citizens. We do see it to some extent each day in the police, firefighters, the men and women of the military. However, this act by the Fukushima 50 is an almost certain sacrifice, since they believe their death will be eventual and inevitable. Wishing them good luck and God speed.

NlGGAZ

I can't wait for the movie where all the japanese will be played by Young white hollywood hearthrobs. And Tom Cruise will save everybody and teach the japanese about real honor.

Peanut_Butter

actually Cruise's character was looking for redemption and he found it in that band of heroes, and he later became a messenger for them. So his character didn't teach the Japanese; it was the other way around.