– Milk cows moved outside Fukushima evacuation zone (NHK, May 30, 2011):
Dairy farmers have begun moving cows out of a village in the evacuation zone for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.
The move came after radiation levels in raw milk from Iitate Village and part of Kawamata Town cleared the government’s safety standards. A ban on the shipment of raw milk was lifted last Wednesday on the condition that these cows are kept outside the evacuation zone.
Farmer Masatsugu Shiga had his 7 cows transported out of the village in a truck on Monday.
Shiga says he is relieved that his cows can survive in a different place but he is angry that he could have continued dairy farming if it had not been for the nuclear accident.
A cooperative mainly made up of dairy farmers in Fukushima Prefecture says the remaining 150 cows in this part of the evacuation zone are scheduled to be moved out by the end of this week.
I love animals but I have a question. Since radiation has gotten into these animals, shouldn’t they be destroyed? If radiation is in their milk producing organs, wouldn’t it be difficult to ascertain radiation levels in the future? Thanks to this website, I have been able to read enough about the subject to understand once it is inside the body, it becomes malignant. Milk is something children drink.
Am I missing something? To keep 150 radiation poisoned cows producing milk seems very high risk.
Thanks for all you are doing to keep this story alive. You are facing down some formidable corporate powers who want this story gone. After reading your story about children picking and consuming fresh tea at Fukushima, evidently the blackout has extended to Japan as well. You are brave people, and I thank you.
Sincerely,
Marilyn Gjerdrum