Six years have passed since the triple meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on March 11th, 2011. The radiation effects of this disaster are felt worldwide, with its impact slowly grinding away over time. According to Japanese government and TEPCO estimates, the decommissioning of the plant is a decade-by-decade process, likely to take four decades and cost up to ¥21 trillion ($189B).
The Japanese government has implemented a restrictive secrecy law (Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets, Act No. 108/2013) to conceal the truth about the inherent dangers of nuclear reactor meltdowns. This law has been criticised by the Japanese Federation of Bar Associations and has seen Japan fall below Serbia and Botswana in the Reporters Without Borders 2014 World Press Freedom Index.
In November 2017, TEPCO manager Mr. Okamura reported that the four main issues at the plant were reducing radiation, stopping groundwater influx, retrieving spent fuel rods, and removing the molten nuclear fuel. Despite tens of thousands of workers combing the Fukushima countryside, nothing much has changed in nearly seven years. It is unclear what is really going on inside the plant, and the world nuclear industry has ambitious growth plans, with up to 400 reactors on drawing boards.
The long-term environmental impacts of the Fukushima disaster will last for decades to centuries, and it is impossible to completely clean up or fix a major radiological disaster. The world must remain aware of the serious implications of this disaster, and the risks posed by nuclear energy, in order to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again.
As the 2020 Summer Olympics approach, Japan faces a unique dilemma: the potential consequences of hosting the Games in close proximity to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident site. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government is not concerned, despite the risks of further damage to the damaged nuclear facilities and the potential for radiation explosions. Japan is a country prone to earthquakes, with an average of 1.5 per day, and the potential for a major tremor to destroy the reactor No. 2 and render the Tokyo metropolitan area uninhabitable is a cause for concern.
The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to select Japan for the 2020 Games despite the three 100% nuclear meltdowns is questionable, and it is unlikely that the Japan Olympic Committee will address the radiation risk factors for athletes and spectators. Dr. Adam Broinowski’s research into the Tokyo Electric Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Crisis highlights the conflict between neoliberal disaster management and the informal labour force, which is largely unprotected and vulnerable to exploitation. His research also suggests that nuclear safety and health issues, including deaths, are underreported or not reported at all.
These issues are of particular importance as the Olympic Games approach, and it is essential that the Japanese government and IOC take steps to ensure the safety of athletes, spectators and workers. It is also important to ensure that the true cost of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster is not hidden from public view.
