‘We’ve Been Deceived’ – Asahi: Gov’t Withheld Fukushima Radiation Data; Not Released Until Residents Moved Back In

– “We’ve been deceived” — Asahi: Gov’t withheld Fukushima radiation data; Not released until residents moved back in — Kyodo: Skepticism growing; “Incident likely to amplify public health concerns” (ENENews, April 17, 2014):

Asahi Shimbun, Apr. 16, 2014: The government withheld findings on estimated radiation exposure for Fukushima returnees for six months, even though levels exceeded the long-term target of 1 millisievert a year at more than half of surveyed locations […] Asahi Shimbun learned April 15. The revelation comes just two weeks after the central government lifted the evacuation order for the district on April 1. […] But some evacuees from areas affected by the Fukushima No. 1 plant nuclear accident […] worry about the possibility they may be exposed to high radiation doses after returning to their homes. […] In mid-October, the two agencies compiled a midterm report and submitted it to the government. But the Cabinet Office’s working team did not disclose the report until the evacuation order for the Miyakoji district was lifted. According to a member of the team, this was because the finding “has no direct relationship with lifting the evacuation orders.” Although the government held numerous meetings with Miyakoji residents to discuss lifting the evacuation order, it never presented the survey results, nor did it even refer to the existence of the data. […]

Kyodo News, Apr. 16, 2014: The government kept a report about a study of individual radiation doses around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant – including an area recently released from an evacuation order – under wraps for six months. The study, which covered the city of Tamura and the villages of Kawauchi and Iitate, showed that the radiation in many areas is still over 1 millisievert per year – a level the government is looking to achieve in the long term. The government lifted an evacuation order on the Miyakoji district in Tamura on April 1, but the content of the interim report, compiled in October, was not conveyed to its citizens or local governments before the action was taken. Skepticism about the government’s disclosure habits concerning radiation levels from the Fukushima crisis has been growing, and the latest incident is likely to amplify public health concerns. […] The outcome has raised concerns among residents that have already returned.

Miyakoji resident, 65: “It was premature to lift the evacuation order. We’ve been deceived.”

See also: Inside Source: Gov’t officials are withholding Fukushima radiation data — Levels much higher than expected — Releasing numbers would “have a huge impact”