2 Comments

Ah ... it's amazing that it took a pandemic to wake us all up about masks ... but amazing (well not that amazing) that NRC/EPA didn't get the memo. Terrific piece Jack. The implications of LNT act pretty much like a reductio ad absurdum proof about how silly it is ... and this piece makes that point brilliantly. After Fukushima I emailed the IAEA ... they replied: "... the IAEA is not an international nuclear regulator; that is, it does not make or enforce safety rules. Therefore, the Agency is not in a position to instruct or order or comment upon the actions any Member State chooses to take." ... but they did publish guidelines ... https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1467_web.pdf ... prepared (I was told) LONG before Fukushima, but not published until after the event ... very quickly! Had those guidelines been followed, there would have been no evacuation at Fukushima.

Expand full comment
author

Bad error in the fraction of inventory released at Fukushima. The 30%/55% I-131/Cs-137 number is for Chernobyl. The UNSCEAR 2021 Fukushima numbers are 2 to 8% of the I-131 and 1 to 3% of the Cs-137. Mea Maxima culpa. Error noted on the web site version.

Expand full comment