CONSULTING

there is an undeniable possibility that reproductive rates lowered and life expectancy shortened in
some species in certain areas. 307 Another study demonstrates that the closer the area is to the
Fukushima nuclear power plant, the lower the number of habitats and species of invertebrate
organisms. 308
The government has set two decontamination goals:
1. To incrementally reduce the size of the areas, but as soon as possible, with levels at
20 mSv/year or higher;
2. Reduce the exposure dose rate to 1 mSv/year or less over a long-term period for the
areas with levels at less than 20 mSv/year. 309
Decontamination work in the designated areas to be decontaminated under the direct control of
the government was completed in six municipalities among the 11 designated municipalities
within Fukushima Prefecture and the plan is to finish decontamination in the remaining
municipalities by the end of FY2016 310 However, little progress has been made in the
decontamination activities implemented by each local government for the wider area that covers
seven prefectures including Fukushima 311 .
As for the rates of progress made in the decontamination activities for the entire Fukushima
Prefecture, 80 percent of houses, 5 percent of roads, and 70 percent of the forests in areas, where
daily activities are conducted, have been decontaminated. 312 However, it should be pointed out that
by “forest” is meant in general a small band around houses and roads, rather the actual dense
forests, that cannot be decontaminated at all. In December 2015, the Ministry of Environment
announced that they will not decontaminate areas more than 20 km away from daily-activities
areas in Fukushima Prefecture. 313 However, as a result of local opposition, the ministry changed the
policy to carrying out decontamination in satoyama areas—border zones of agricultural land and
forested land traditionally regarded as one area—where people may enter easily. 314
307 Nature Conservation Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, “MOE’s research on the effects of radiation on
wild fauna and flora Biodiversity Policy Division”, Research report meeting on radiation effects on wild
animals and plants, 19 February 2016, (in Japanese), see
http://www.env.go.jp/jishin/monitoring/results_wl_d160219.pdf, accessed 12 April 2016.
308 Toshihiro Horiguchi et al., “Decline in intertidal biota after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and
Tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster: field observations”, Scientific Reports, see
http://www.nature.com/articles/srep20416, accessed 12 April 2016.
309 Ministry of Environment, “Outline of the Implementation of the Act on Special Measures”, see
http://josen.env.go.jp/en/framework/, accessed 21 May 2016.
310 Ministry of the Environment, “Progress map of decontamination activities implemented under the direct
control of the government”, 4 March 2016, (in Japanese), see
http://josen.env.go.jp/material/pdf/josen_gareki_progress_201603.pdf, accessed 12 April 2016.
311 Ministry of the Environment, “Progress made in areas being decontaminated by municipalities”, (in
Japanese), see http://josen.env.go.jp/zone/index.html, accessed 12 April 2016.
312 Ibidem.
313 Environmental recovery review meeting, “Direction of radioactive materials management measures for
forests (draft)”, 21 December 2015, (in Japanese), see http://www.env.go.jp/jishin/rmp/conf/16/mat05.pdf,
accessed 12 April 2016.
314 Project team of relevant ministries and agencies for recovering forests and the forest industry in
Fukushima, “Comprehensive approach for recovering forests and the forest industry in Fukushima”,
9 March 2016, (in Japanese), see http://www.reconstruction.go.jp/topics/main-cat1/sub-cat1-
4/forest/160309_3_siryou1.pdf, accessed 12 April 2016.
Mycle Schneider, Antony Froggatt et al. 97 World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2016