– #Radiation in Japan Spreads: Wheat, Rapeseeds in Fukushima, Rice Hay Outside Fukushima Far Exceeding Safety Limit (EX-SKF, July 25, 2011):
No surprise to anyone who didn’t trust the Japanese government.
From Asahi Shinbun (11:14PM JST 7/25/2011):
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Fukushima Prefecture announced on July 25 that radioactive cesium exceeding the provisional limit was detected from the wheat harvested at a farm in Hirono-machi [23 kilometers south of Fukushima I Nuke Plant] in Fukushima Prefecture. The prefectural government says the wheat hasn’t been sold in the market. It is the first time that radioactive cesium exceeding the limit has been detected in wheat.
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According to the prefectural government, 630 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium was found in a sample taken on July 19. The prefectural government has asked the farm to withhold shipment on a voluntary basis. Fukushima Prefecture ranks No. 25th in wheat production in Japan, with 651 tonnes produced last year.
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Also, 720 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium has been detected in the rapeseeds harvested by a farm in Tamura City [41 kilometers west of Fukushima I Nuke Plant] in Fukushima. The rapeseeds haven’t been shipped, and the prefectural government has asked the farm to withhold shipment on a voluntary basis.
Don’t overly count on the statement that these crops haven’t yet been sold in the market. That’s as far as the farmer has told the government, or as far as the government can tell, which may not be much.
Also, for those who are wondering: When the government asks a farmer to withhold shipment “on a voluntary basis”, it means that technically the farmer is free to ship but the government expects the farmer not to ship, and the farmer will not get compensated for not shipping because it is done on a “voluntary basis” – i.e. on his own judgment, technically. The government thus saves money. It is a code word used by the government that means “You are not supposed to ship, but we won’t pay you for your potential loss.”
Also from Asahi (4:49AM JST 7/26/2011):
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Ibaraki Prefecture announced on July 25 that 64,000 becquerels/kg of cesium was detected from the rice hay collected at a farm in Takahagi City [83 kilometers south of Fukushima I Nuke Plant] in Ibaraki Prefecture. If reconstituted, the level of radioactive cesium in the hay would be 14,500 becquerels/kg, more than 48 times the national safety limit [for the feed] of 300 becquerels/kg. No cow has been shipped from this farm.
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So far, radioactive cesium exceeding the safety limit has been detected in the meat from cows that were fed with the rice hay collected in Fukushima, Miyagi, Tochigi, and Iwate Prefectures.
So now in Ibaraki. The US government’s decision to evacuate its citizens outside 80 kilometers radius from Fukushima I Nuke Plant, which has been criticized by some in the US media as “overreaction”, has turned out to be the very prudent thing to do; maybe that wasn’t even far enough, considering Takahagi City is outside that zone.