The management of contaminated goods in Japan since the Fukushima accident

Abstract

Feedback analyses from Chernobyl and Fukushima post-accident situations have clearly emphasized the importance of management strategies for contaminated goods during the days, months and years after the accident. For instance, following the accident, the management of contaminated goods generally focuses on the implementation of protective actions, radiological countermeasures and the control of radioactivity in foodstuffs, in order to ensure the quality and sales of the food products. Then, issues concerning the loss of image of local products can appear, and subsequent strategies have to be taken to restore the consumer confidence. Based on a literature review and interviews performed between 2016 and 2018 with Japanese stakeholders involved in the Fukushima accident recovery, this paper analyses the strategies for the management of contaminated goods which have been implemented in Japan. Divided into three main parts, this paper highlights how producers/livestock breeders, agricultural cooperatives, consumers and even distributors gradually committed themselves to (i) ensure the radiological quality of products by implementing countermeasures and monitoring systems, (ii) maintain sustainable economic activity by encouraging the resumption of agricultural activities and by deploying various sales strategies and try to (iii) restore consumer confidence by initiating producer/consumer dialogues and promotional actions for local products.

Radiological protection challenges facing business activities affected by a nuclear accident: some lessons from the management of the accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

“…The flagship products of the region (e.g., sake, peaches, etc.) were the subject of national advertising featuring personalities such as the Emperor or the Prime Minister (Maître et al, 2020). The objective of organizing the Tokyo Olympic Games, initially planned for July 2020, was also a driving force to restore the image of the Fukushima region, since some events were supposed to be organized within the Prefecture (e.g., Olympic Torch Relay in J-village, etc.).…”

“…Business leaders should favour direct contact with consumers for the organisation of the quality assurance process by engaging them in the dissemination of information and good practices. The dissemination of information through the media and, in particular, access to the results of measurements of the products is one of the key components for restoring consumer confidence (Maître et al, 2020). In addition, the dissemination of practical information on the radiological characterisation of the environment in the affected areas, as for example the results of environmental monitoring, helps to restore the confidence of tourists and provides them specific knowledge to make their own judgement about the radiological situation (Chew and Jahari, 2014).…”

“…The reduction of availability of labour and also the number of potential customers in affected areas have penalized most businesses. In addition, the impacts of the accident on the reputation of Fukushima Prefecture products such as beef, peach, rice, and sake have led to a drop of 10 to 20% of the selling prices of local products (Zhang et al, 2019;Maître et al, 2020). The tourism industry has also been strongly impacted, with an observed reduction in the number of visitors to the Fukushima area estimated at around 40% in the year following the Fukushima-Daiichi NPP accident (Fukushima Prefecture, 2019) and it took 7 years for the number of tourists to return to the level observed before the accident.…”

Analysis of the modalities of return of populations to the contaminated territories following the accident at the Fukushima power plant

“…The focus of the authorities and the population on the ambient dose rate levels can be explained by the very low levels of artificial radioactivity in marketed foodstuffs and as a consequence very low doses that could be received through ingestion by residents (Renaud et al, 2014;Maître et al, 2020). To date, only products of forest harvesting-mushrooms or sansaiedible wild plantsmay be contaminated at levels that significantly and frequently exceed the maximum allowable levels.…”

Le déclin de la recherche en France : la radioprotection ne fait pas exception ?

“…-Percutaneous CT vertebroplasty with of a computer-assisted navigation system (Teriitehau et al, 2020); -Optimization of CT scanner dose in children (Malchair and Maccia, 2020); -Radiobiology of high doses per fraction: knowledge in 2020 and new preclinical models (Bertho et al, 2021); -Inverse modeling techniques to assess the atmospheric accidental release from a nuclear power plant (Saunier et al, 2020); -The management of contaminated goods in Japan since the Fukushima accident (Maître et al, 2020); -Exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic field (Magne et al, 2020).…”