[CML 009247] Fwd: ( 英文 )Urgent Petition Against 20mSv Radiation Exposure onto Children in Fukushima

[M.Shimakawa]

                                                [TO: CML, keystone, NoNuke]

                                            FoE Japan （改行位置等若干変更）
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Urgent Petition Against 20mSv Radiation Exposure onto Children in Fukushima 
[2011年04月24日(日)]
<http://blog.canpan.info/foejapan/daily/201104/24>

【緊急声明と要請】＜子どもに「年20ミリシーベルト」を強要する日本政府の非人
道的な決定に抗議し、撤回を要求する＞ 和文はこちら

Urgent Petition Against 20 millisieverts per year (mSv/y) Radiation Exposure 
onto Children in Fukushima

>Sign the petition

Preliminary deadline: 
Tue. April 26, 2011 at 23:00 in Japanese time (UTC/GMT +9 hours)
Final deadline:
Sat. April 30, 2011 at 23:00 in Japanese time (UTC/GMT +9 hours)


We urgently demand the withdrawal of the Japanese Government's inhumane 
decision to force 20 millisieverts per year (mSv/y) radiation exposure onto 
children

On April 19th, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and 
Technology (MEXT) notified the Board of Education and related institutions in 
Fukushima Prefecture the level of 20 millisieverts per year (mSv/y) as a 
Radiation Safety Standard for schools in Fukushima Prefecture. This is the 
standard to be used for school grounds and buildings. The Government has 
indicated that 20mSv/y is equivalent to 3.8microSv per hour measured outdoors.

3.8 micro Sv/h is roughly 6 times [the 0.6microSv/h] of "Radiation Controlled 
Areas" (0.6 microSv/h or more). The Labour Standards Act prohibits those under 
the age of 18 from working under these conditions. Forcing children to be 
exposed to such radiation doses is an exceedingly inhumane decision. Therefore, 
we condemn this in the strongest terms.

20 mSv/y is comparable to the [legally] recognized dose for inducing leukemia 
in nuclear power plant workers. It is also comparable to the maximum dose 
allowed for nuclear power plant workers in Germany.

In addition, this 20mSv standard [for Japanese children] does not take into 
account the fact children have higher sensitivity to radiation than adults, 
nor does it take into account any internal radiation exposure.

Currently, according to the radiation monitoring conducted at elementary and 
middle schools within Fukushima Prefecture, more than 75% of these schools 
have contamination levels comparable to "Radiation Controlled Areas" (0.6 micro 
Sv/h or more). Further, roughly 20% of the schools fall within "Individual 
Exposure Controlled Areas" (2.3 microSv/h or more) and are in an extremely 
dangerous situation.

The level set by the Japanese Government at this time amounts to coercion of 
this dangeroussituation upon children, and, can interfere with voluntary 
measures by schools to minimize exposure.

MEXT states that 20mSv/y is based on the recommendation Pub.109 by the 
International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) as well as on the 
reference levels in the band of 1 to 20 mSv/y as "Post Emergency Situation" 
Standards from the ICRP statement released on March 21st. The latter means 
MEXT has adopted the maximum level.

As of March 21st, there has been no substantive information disclosure by the 
Japanese Government on the decision-making process for establishing these 
standards. Moreover, no explanation has been given concerning why the 
Government has neither taken the sensitivity of children into consideration 
nor internal radiation exposure into account. The contents of the consultation 
held between MEXT and the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) are not disclosed, 
and the situation remains extremely opaque. 


We demand the Japanese government of the 
following:

-	Retraction of the "20mSv/y" standard for children.

-	Disclosure of the names of experts, who deemed "20mSv/y" for children to 
    be safe.


Note:
At the governmental negotiation held on April 21st, it became evident that the 
Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) concluded the 20mSv/y standard for children 
as "Permissible" without undertaking any formal consultation. Moreover, on 
April 22nd, the Commission reported to the office of Mizuho FUKUSHIMA, member 
of the Japanese Diet, House of Councillors that no minutes (records) exist of 
the 5 Nuclear Safety Commission members' deliberation leading to the 20mSv/year 
standard. 

References:
Expert comments cited from the articles on the establishment of the 20mSv/y 
standard ("Fukushima-Katastrophe - Japan legt hohe Strahlengrenzwerte fur 
Kinder fest" or "Japan's MEXT sets High Exposure Limits for Children"), Der 
Spiegel, April 21st, 2011.(See comparison to German workers.)
http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch/0,1518,758410,00.html

Edmund Lengfelder (Otto Hug Radiation Institute), "The cancer risk will visibly 
rise in the future. By setting these standards, the government will steer 
clear of any liability legally, however not morally."

-------

This petition is being organized by: 
Green Action, Greenpeace Japan, Citizens' Nuclear Information Center, Citizens 
Against Fukushima Aging Nuclear Power Plants (Fukuro-no-Kai), Osaka Citizens 
Against the Mihama, Oi, and Takahama Nuclear Power Plants (Mihama-no-Kai), 
Friends of the Earth Japan

For further inquiries, please contact:

Green Action
Suite 103, 22-75 Tanaka Sekiden-cho
Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8203 Japan
Tel: +81-75-701-7223 
info at greenaction-japan.org

Friends of the Earth Japan
3-30-8-1F Ikebukuro Toshima-ku Tokyo 171-0014, Japan
TEL: +81-3-6907-7217
finance at foejapan.org

[English translation of Japanese original: FoE Japan / Green Action]
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------