THE

FUKUSHIMA
NUCLEAR
ACCIDENT
Mariano Martinez
Applied Instrumentation and Control Student
Professional ractice presentation assignment 2013

INTRODUCTION
Magnitude 9.0
earthquake. The fourth
strongest worldwide since
1900 and largest ever
recorded in Japan
Created 1015 metre
devastating high tsunami
waves
Almost 20.000 deaths
Triggered the one of the
worst ever nuclear
crisis Fukushima

Tohoku earthquake affected areas (USGS,2011)

INTRODUCTION

Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear plant before the disaster(Kyodo,2008)

INTRODUCTION

Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear plant after the disaster(Kyodo,2011)

PRESENTATION MAP
1) THE ACCIDENT
2) SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM DAMAGE

3) RESPONSABILITIES AND CAUSES

4) MANMADE OR NATURAL DISASTER? CONCLUSION

THE ACCIDENT

Map of Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant

( The National Diet of Japan,2012)

SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM DAMAGE

Two workers killed by the tsunami. 37 injured including 2 suffering from
radiation burns.
Health consequences unknown to the remaining workers and
residents in the surroundings

Plant heavily damaged and unusable

1/6 of the amount of emissions by the Chernobyl accident
1,800 square kilometres of Fukushima Prefecture with potential doses
of 5mSv/year or more. 20 km exclusion zone inhabitable for decades
146,520 residents were evacuated and 60 died from complications
related to the evacuation
Evacuated population still suffer from stress about radiation exposure
level and refusal to return of a great part
Enormous economical repercussion
(Perawongmetha,2011)

SHORT TERM AND

LONG TERM DAMAGE

RESPONSIBILITIES AND CAUSES

Earthquake and tsunami foreseeable but no actions taken
The operator (TEPCO), the regulatory bodies (NISA and NSC)and the
government, failed to correctly develop the most basic safety requirements
Regulators negative attitude toward new advances, technology and
procedures from overseas
The regulators didnt take a strong position towards the operator
Regulators dependence of the ministry of economy. A pronuclear organization
Japanese mind-set. Corporatism and lack of logical reaction with unclear
chain of command

MANMADE OR NATURAL
DISASTER? CONCLUSION
Although the trigger was a natural disaster of enormous
proportions. The Fukushima accident was clearly manmade

It was the result of the collusion and lack of governance

between the government, regulators and Tepco that resulted
in inadequate decisions and action
The Japanese character influenced greatly the response to the
catastrophe
Fundamental reforms had to be taken covering the Japanese
energetic industry, laws, regulators and operation procedures

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!

References
KYODO NEWS 2008. Fukushima Daiichi before the nuclear accident.
KYODO NEWS 2011. Fukushima daiichi after the nuclear accident.
MCCURRY, J. 2012. Japans Tohoku earthquake: 1 year on. www.thelancet.com.
NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 2011. Ground Nased and Aereal Monitoring
Results Fukushima Daiichi.
PERAWONGMETHA, A. 2011. Abandoned city. GETTY Images.
THE NATIONA DIET OF JAPAN 2012. Official Report of The Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent
Investigation Commission.
US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 2011. Areas affected by the quake.