International Law

Great Dailykos diary on evacuation zones

By Karl-Friedrich Lenz

This diary gives the numbers of people living at several distances from the reactor site. The short results: 20 kilometer means about 90.000, 30 about 145.000, 50 about 726.000 and 80 kilometers (the 50 mile zone the American government recommends) about 2,4 million.

That confirms my point made earlier that it is very easy for the Americans to give a larger area since there are not ever so many Americans in that area to begin with. In contrast, having to move 2.4 million people would be quite costly.

The diarist says that the Japanese can’t move that many. That is not correct. Of course they can if they need to do so. However, they will not decide on such a large area if not absolutely necessary by current radiation levels.

These are way below 100 Microsievert at 30 kilometers today. To get to 100 Millisievert a person would need to stay at least for 1000 hours outdoors without protection.

The numbers are not there right now for extending the zone over 30.

There is also no “new evacuation zone” and no extension to 30 kilometers. The Government has only recommended leaving in the zone out of 20 and in of 30 kilometers because goods necessary for daily life have trouble getting in that zone. There has been no new risk assessment.

Full post as published by Lenz Blog on March 26, 2011 (boomark / email).