New food contamination rules
(From The Japan Times April 9 issue)

農産物の出荷制限措置見直し

With fears, sometimes unfounded, mounting about the possibility of food and water being contaminated by radiation, the government has established a new rule governing bans on contaminated agricultural products. Until now, a shipping ban was applied to an entire prefecture if agricultural products were found to be contaminated with radiation at levels above legal limits in any part of the prefecture. Under the new rule, designed to reduce the infliction of financial damage on farmers whose products are not contaminated, shipping bans will apply only to municipalities where the contaminated agricultural products originated and bans will be lifted when no contamination is detected for three consecutive weeks.

As the rice-planting season nears, the government should also issue guidelines on areas where rice can be safely planted to avoid unnecessary troubles and expenditures.

The government has also decided to restrict the drinking of city water only if the average concentration of radioactive substances for three consecutive days is above the legal limit. The restriction will be lifted when the three-day average is below the limit and on a declining trend.

It is important to prevent panic among consumers, which could lead them to stop buying products whose concentration of radioactive substances falls within legal limits. The authorities should thoroughly vet agricultural products for radiation contamination and make the data public in a timely manner so consumers can make proper judgments.

The same measure should be applied to fishery products. The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant contains some 60,000 tons of highly radioactive water and until April 6 some of it was leaking into the sea. In addition, on April 4, Tepco started releasing 10,000 tons of low-level radioactive water into the sea. Radioactive iodine and cesium have been detected in small fish caught off Ibaraki Prefecture recently, and sales are plummeting even for fish caught in unaffected waters.

Ultimately the situation will not improve until internal cooling functions are restored in the stricken reactors and they cease emitting radioactive substances into the environment. The government and Tepco must continue to make utmost efforts toward achieving this goal.

食品と水の放射能汚染に関する不安が高まるなか、政府は農産物の出荷制限措置を見直した。風評被害を防ぐため、農産物から暫定規制値を超える放射性物質が検出された場合の出荷制限を都道府県単位から市町村単位に変え、3週連続で放射線量が規制値を下回れば制限を解除する。

水道水に関しては、直近3日分の放射性物質の平均値が指標を上回ったときのみ摂取制限を要請、同平均値が指標を下回り、かつ検査結果が減少傾向にあれば解除される。

放射線量が規制値を下回る商品でも買い控えるといった消費者のパニックを防ぐため、当局は農作物の放射能汚染を徹底的に検査し、データは直ちに公表すべきだ。魚介類にも同じ対応が望まれる。茨城沖で捕れた魚から放射能ヨウ素とセシウムが検出され、影響を受けていない海域で獲れた魚の売り上げも落ちている。

被災した原子炉内部の冷却機能が回復し、放射線物質の流出が止まらない限り、状況は改善されない。政府と東電はその目標達成に向け、最善を尽くさねばならない。