13/04 Evacuation plans baffle residents

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Not enough explanation. Not enough help. And not enough time.

Residents of five municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture have been disheartened and confused by the government's decision to newly designate these areas as planned evacuation zones due to radiation leaks from a crippled nuclear power plant.

The residents could have to leave their homes within a month.

"What should I do with my cows?" a cattle farmer in one town said. Another resident said: "[The government's] explanation left many questions unanswered. I don't know what to do."

The entire village of Iitatemura has been designated as a deliberate evacuation area. Iitatemura Mayor Norio Kanno explained the government plan to the head of each administrative area in the village Monday.

"It's very regrettable [that Iitatemura was included], but we don't have any option but to ask residents to leave the village for the time being," Kanno said. The village will decide later where and how to evacuate residents.

According to Kaname Hirose, superintendent of schools in Iitatemura, this uncertainty has prevented primary and middle schools in the village from scheduling ceremonies held to mark the new academic year.

Before the crisis erupted, these schools had been planning to hold ceremonies on April 20 or later.

The village office held a meeting for companies based in the village, too.

Kazuhiro Hayashi, 67, president of a parts processing company, was unconvinced by what he heard at the meeting.

"Why was our village designated as a deliberate evacuation area even though radiation levels have fallen?" he said. "In the worst-case scenario, I'll have to lay off my employees."

After the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, Hayashi's company continued operating a factory that makes parts for precision instruments such as cameras. It operated at full capacity with about 70 workers, including some who had been fired by other companies. Hayashi is not prepared to shut his factory when jobs are at stake.

"If the government won't guarantee the livelihoods of my employees, I'll operate our factory until the government orders us [to stop]," Hayashi said.

A 61-year-old farmer in Iitatemura who raises prime beef cattle is refusing to leave the town and the cattle he considers "like family."

"We've constantly improved the quality of our beef over the years. Even if an evacuation order is issued, I can't leave now. I'll stay here with my cattle until the end," he said.

Part of Kawamatamachi has been designated as a deliberate evacuation area. High levels of radioactive cesium were detected in the Yamakiya district in the eastern part of the town, forcing farmers to stop working in their fields.

A 64-year-old farmer who raises about 80 cows in Yamakiya has mixed feelings about whether to stay or go.

"If I could leave, I'd want to do that. But I have my cows here," she said. "I don't know what to do."

Many parts of Minami-Soma have been designated as areas where residents are urged to stay indoors since March 11. But complicating matters, the city has both a deliberate evacuation area and an "emergency evacuation preparation area," where residents are asked to always be prepared to stay indoors.

A disaster safety division chief of the city, feels the blame for this confusion rests with the government.

"The government didn't give us any information in advance. We have to quickly figure out where to draw the line that separates the areas," the official said.

According to the official, more than 30,000 people are still in the city. Asked about the city's plan to reopen primary and middle schools that would hold ceremonies for the new academic year in late April, he said, "We might have to review the timing."

Residents who evacuated earlier--in the expectation it would only be temporary--also have been disappointed by the latest developments.

Kotoko Okamura, 54, who worked in the fishing industry in Namiemachi--a town designated Monday as a deliberate evacuation area--is staying at a Fukushima hotel. Although she longs to return, she is not sure when, or whether, she can go back.

"I think I won't be able to return to my hometown again," Okamura said.

The March 11 tsunami destroyed Okamura's house. She took shelter at an evacuation center with her husband and second-eldest son.

"I wanted to return to our town if the nuclear power plant is brought under control," she said.

But Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano's announcement Monday that the evacuation areas were being expanded shattered her hopes.

"Where can I go next? I want the government to give more consideration to people like me who have no place to go," Okamura said.

Masamichi Nishio, president of the National Hospital Organization Hokkaido Cancer Center, believes the government should have given more thorough explanations about the situation.

"Considering the possible health risks to children and pregnant women, setting up deliberate evacuation areas and emergency evacuation preparation areas makes sense," Nishio said.

"But the government should explain to residents the reasons for the evacuations and provide detailed data and science-based information about health effects. The government also should help residents prepare to evacuate and get their lives back in order. Giving ambiguous explanations will only confuse residents," he said.

(Apr. 13, 2011)

11/04 東日本大震災：計画的避難区域指定（その２止） 住民ストレス重く

　◇見えぬ放射線に不安－－浪江

　全域が計画的避難区域に指定された福島県浪江町。海に近い中心部はこれまでも福島第１原発から２０キロ圏の避難指示区域だったが、西端は退避の必要のない３０キロ圏外だった。とはいえ当初から放射線量は高く、住民は恐怖と闘ってきた。

　「べこ（牛）らの鳴き声が『早く処分してくれ』と訴えているように聞こえる」。そう話す紺野英治さん（６０）は、浪江町津島地区で黒毛和牛を育てる畜産農家。親牛１８頭に子牛１４頭。うち４頭は、震災後生まれた。

　同地区は、福島第１原発の北西約３０キロ。屋内退避圏（原発から２０～３０キロ）の境界線上にある。紺野さん宅はぎりぎり圏外だが、８日に行われた県の調査によると、３０キロ圏内にわずかに入った町立津島小で毎時２３・０マイクロシーベルトと、県内で最も高い放射線量を観測した（避難指示区域除く）。

　紺野さん宅近くの幹線道路脇にはカッパや衣類が散乱している。３０キロ圏の境界にあたるため、圏内に一時帰宅した人々が放射性物質を防ぐために着ていたものを脱ぎ捨てていくらしい。地元住民にもマスクもしない普段通りの格好で農作業をする人がいる。「３０キロ圏から外に出ればすぐ安全になるのか」と、ずっと疑問だった。

　津島小は避難指示区域で見つかった遺体の安置所にもなっている。そこからの放射線も気になる。

　地区は８００～１０００メートルの山に囲まれた谷筋。福島第１原発近くで海に注ぐ請戸（うけど）川の源流域だ。原発ができた４０年ほど前、知り合いの原発作業員に「放射能漏れがあったら、お前の所は危ない。山に阻まれた放射性物質が落ちてくる」と言われたことがある。真偽は不明だが、その言葉が何度も頭に浮かぶ。

　「そういう一つ一つのことが重なって、時々どうしようもない不安に襲われる。雲の中を突き進んでいくような気持ちだ」。ストレスのせいで体重は地震以降、１８キロ減った。標準値だった血圧も最高値が１８５まで上がったという。

　紺野さんは毎日、約２０キロ離れた避難所から牛舎へ通っている。慎重を期し、タイベックと呼ばれる防護服、カッパとゴム手袋、防護マスクを付ける。飼料を与え、ふんを片づける。早朝から夕方まで、ぐっしょり汗をかきながらの作業だ。

　だが、おそらく牛にはもう商品価値がない。「いろんなことが後手後手で、振り回されるのは結局住民だ」と憤る。「べこもだいぶこけ（やせ）てきて、かわいそうだ。でも、放射線量は日によって違う。せめて最後までうまい餌を食べさせてやりたい」【市川明代】

　◇準備区域指定３町村「全住民避難、まだ続ける」

　屋内退避指示圏内が緊急時避難準備区域となる福島県広野町、楢葉町、川内村は、役場が町村外に移転する「全町・全村避難」を続けている。

　内陸部の同県会津美里町に役場を移した楢葉町は「住民が安心して住める状況になったわけではなく、避難は継続する」（企画課）と説明。川内村の井出寿一総務課長は「名前が長くなっただけで今までと変わらない。村としてはこれまで通り村民に自主避難を呼び掛ける」と語った。

　広野町の自宅が屋内退避指示圏内にあり、同県いわき市の施設に避難している高木幸一さん（６１）は「何も説明を受けておらず、よく分からない」と困惑した様子。自宅は住める状態にあるが「放射能汚染の状況が不明なので、今すぐには戻れない」と話した。

　一部が準備区域になる田村市には１１日、松下忠洋副経済産業相が訪れ方針を説明。屋内退避指示圏内に９４１人が住むが、市が用意した２カ所の避難所に移った人はいない。

　準備区域にならなかった、いわき市の災害対策本部職員は「政府から事前に説明はなかったようだ。会見後、対応を検討しようとしたら震度６弱の余震が起き中ぶらりんの状況」と話した。【北村和巳、福永方人、堀智行】

英訳

11/04 Cattle farmer stressed over plight of cows in radiation-hit Fukushima

Eiji Konno looks at the pedigree certificates of his cattle at a refugee shelter in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, on April 9. (Mainichi)

NAMIE, Fukushima -- A cattle farmer here is suffering from tremendous stress amid mounting concerns over the impact of radiation leaks from the quake- and tsunami-hit Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant on the local livestock business.

"It feels like my cows are asking me to kill them right way," said Eiji Konno, a 60-year-old cattle farmer in the Fukushima Prefectural town of Namie.

Konno is raising a total of 32 beef cows, including four calves born after the March 11 disaster. However, in the wake of radiation leaks from the crippled nuclear facility, Konno, who is now staying at a refugee shelter in the prefectural city of Nihonmatsu, has been parted from his livestock.

Unlike the town's central area, the western part of Namie, including the Tsushima district where Konno's farm and residence are located, had not been covered by the government's evacuation order and "stay-indoor" advisory zones within a radius of 30 kilometers from the damaged power station. However, the highest radiation level to date in the prefecture (except for areas already evacuated) of 23 microsieverts per hour was detected at the district's Tsushima Elementary School on April 8, prompting the government to extend the evacuation zone to cover the entire town on April 11 as it requested all residents to move out from the area over the next month.

Raincoats and clothes were found abandoned along the road near Konno's empty house. Those who temporarily returned to their homes inside the 30-kilometer radius of the plant threw them away on their way back to makeshift shelters.

On the other hand, some farmers outside the 30-kilometer zone are continuing to work on their farms without wearing protective face masks. Konno wonders if these farmers are safe just because they are outside the "stay indoor" advisory area.

He is also worried about the possible spread of radiation from bodies of the victims laid out at the elementary school being used as a temporary morgue.

Furthermore, the fact that the district is surrounded by 800- to 1,000-meter-tall mountains increases his fears.

"Your district would be in great danger should radiation leak from the power plant. Radioactive materials could be blocked by the mountains and fall on you," one of Konno's acquaintances working at the nuclear plant warned about 40 years ago. Whether it is true or not, Konno cannot help but worry.

"Sometimes I become overwhelmed by anxiety. It feels as if I am walking through dark clouds," Konno said.

Due to extreme stress, he has lost 18 kilograms since the earthquake and is suffering from high blood pressure.

Clad in protective gear, Konno visits his farm some 20 kilometers from the refugee shelter every day to look after his animals. He stays there from early morning through evening, knowing his cattle have become virtually unsellable at the market.

"Local residents are being affected by the government's slow responses," Konno said, adding, "My cows have lost weight, too, and I feel sorry for them. I want to give them delicious food until the last moment."

Click here for the original Japanese story

(Mainichi Japan) April 12, 2011

東日本大震災：計画的避難区域指定（その２止）　住民ストレス重く

　◇見えぬ放射線に不安－－浪江
　全域が計画的避難区域に指定された福島県浪江町。海に近い中心部はこれまでも福島第１原発から２０キロ圏の避難指示区域だったが、西端は退避の必要のない３０キロ圏外だった。とはいえ当初から放射線量は高く、住民は恐怖と闘ってきた。

　「べこ（牛）らの鳴き声が『早く処分してくれ』と訴えているように聞こえる」。そう話す紺野英治さん（６０）は、浪江町津島地区で黒毛和牛を育てる畜産農家。親牛１８頭に子牛１４頭。うち４頭は、震災後生まれた。

　同地区は、福島第１原発の北西約３０キロ。屋内退避圏（原発から２０～３０キロ）の境界線上にある。紺野さん宅はぎりぎり圏外だが、８日に行われた県の調査によると、３０キロ圏内にわずかに入った町立津島小で毎時２３・０マイクロシーベルトと、県内で最も高い放射線量を観測した（避難指示区域除く）。

　紺野さん宅近くの幹線道路脇にはカッパや衣類が散乱している。３０キロ圏の境界にあたるため、圏内に一時帰宅した人々が放射性物質を防ぐために着ていたものを脱ぎ捨てていくらしい。地元住民にもマスクもしない普段通りの格好で農作業をする人がいる。「３０キロ圏から外に出ればすぐ安全になるのか」と、ずっと疑問だった。

　津島小は避難指示区域で見つかった遺体の安置所にもなっている。そこからの放射線も気になる。

　地区は８００～１０００メートルの山に囲まれた谷筋。福島第１原発近くで海に注ぐ請戸（うけど）川の源流域だ。原発ができた４０年ほど前、知り合いの原発作業員に「放射能漏れがあったら、お前の所は危ない。山に阻まれた放射性物質が落ちてくる」と言われたことがある。真偽は不明だが、その言葉が何度も頭に浮かぶ。

　「そういう一つ一つのことが重なって、時々どうしようもない不安に襲われる。雲の中を突き進んでいくような気持ちだ」。ストレスのせいで体重は地震以降、１８キロ減った。標準値だった血圧も最高値が１８５まで上がったという。

　紺野さんは毎日、約２０キロ離れた避難所から牛舎へ通っている。慎重を期し、タイベックと呼ばれる防護服、カッパとゴム手袋、防護マスクを付ける。飼料を与え、ふんを片づける。早朝から夕方まで、ぐっしょり汗をかきながらの作業だ。

　だが、おそらく牛にはもう商品価値がない。「いろんなことが後手後手で、振り回されるのは結局住民だ」と憤る。「べこもだいぶこけ（やせ）てきて、かわいそうだ。でも、放射線量は日によって違う。せめて最後までうまい餌を食べさせてやりたい」【市川明代】

　◇準備区域指定３町村「全住民避難、まだ続ける」
　屋内退避指示圏内が緊急時避難準備区域となる福島県広野町、楢葉町、川内村は、役場が町村外に移転する「全町・全村避難」を続けている。

　内陸部の同県会津美里町に役場を移した楢葉町は「住民が安心して住める状況になったわけではなく、避難は継続する」（企画課）と説明。川内村の井出寿一総務課長は「名前が長くなっただけで今までと変わらない。村としてはこれまで通り村民に自主避難を呼び掛ける」と語った。

　広野町の自宅が屋内退避指示圏内にあり、同県いわき市の施設に避難している高木幸一さん（６１）は「何も説明を受けておらず、よく分からない」と困惑した様子。自宅は住める状態にあるが「放射能汚染の状況が不明なので、今すぐには戻れない」と話した。

　一部が準備区域になる田村市には１１日、松下忠洋副経済産業相が訪れ方針を説明。屋内退避指示圏内に９４１人が住むが、市が用意した２カ所の避難所に移った人はいない。

　準備区域にならなかった、いわき市の災害対策本部職員は「政府から事前に説明はなかったようだ。会見後、対応を検討しようとしたら震度６弱の余震が起き中ぶらりんの状況」と話した。【北村和巳、福永方人、堀智行】