FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI
NUCLEAR DISASTER
On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan
Earthquake of magnitude 9.0 off the coast of
Sendai, Japan triggered a devastating 15-meter
tall tsunami that flooded the entire Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear power plant, inflicting catastrophic damage to the power supply and cooling
towers of at least three nuclear reactors. Within
three days, the reactors melted, resulting in a
nuclear disaster and immediate evacuation of
the surrounding area. The Fukushima incident is
perhaps the worst nuclear disaster since the
Chernobyl meltdown in 1986.
LEVEL 7
Major Accident
7
Serious Accident
6
5
Accident with Off-Site Risk
4
Accident without Significant Off-Site Risk
Serious Incident
3
2
Incident
Anomaly
1
Deviation
0
On April 12th, 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown was
classified at level 7, the maximum level of accident
possible, which is the same level as that of the Chernobyl accident.
MAP OF NUCLEAR
FALLOUT IN JAPAN
11,500+ TONS
of nuclear waste produced
Radiation Alteration
(microGy/h)
16,000 DEATHS
0.06 - 40.36
due to earthquake and tsunami
0.03 - 0.06
0.02 - 0.03
0.01 - 0.02
300,000 PEOPLE
0.00 - 0.01
evacuated their homes to avoid
radiation
0.00 - 0.00
1,383+ DEATHS
due to displacement from homes
2020 OLYMPICS
will be held in Tokyo, Japan
RADIATION CLEANUP
COST COMPARISON
58
60
Chernobyl, Ukraine (1986)
44
41
40
260 billion
Fukushima, Japan (2011)
50
U.S. Dollars (Billions)
WORST NUCLEAR DISASTERS BY DAMAGES
30
17.7
20
200 billion
Athens, U.S. (1985)
2.15 billion
Plymouth, U.S. (1986)
1.17 billion
Ontario, Canada (1983)
1.01 billion
0
13.7
50
100
150
200
250
300
U.S. Dollars (Billions)
10
st
et
Oly
mp
rics
Co
BILLION
2L
2 01
ENERGY USAGE IN JAPAN
1%
TOP 5 COUNTRIES WITH MOST
NUMBER OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
USA
28%
Pre-Fukushima
34
RUSSIA
28
Post-Fukushima
*
= 10
After the Fukushima incident, a majority of Japan’s
nuclear reactors were no longer operational because
they either melted down or were shut down by order of
the government.
Coal
Petroleum
Other
26%
2%
20%
.......................
decrease in overall
usage of nuclear energy
in Japan from 21% to 1%
after the Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear
meltdown
44%
35%
.......................
increase in overall
usage of imported
petroleum from 9% to
44% after the Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear
meltdown
SOURCES:
1) http://nuclear-news.net/2011/04/12/fukushima-crisis-now-rated-at-maximum-level/
2) http://www.targetmap.com/viewer.aspx?reportId=6329
3)http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/artwork/nuclear/2013/FukushimaCosts.pdf
4) https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=550
2%
4%
Hydro
8%
43
Natural Gas
22%
27%
9%
58
JAPAN
27%
Nuclear
99
FRANCE
CHINA
The damage costs of the Fukushima incident were estimated to
be approximately $260 billion. Though there were no deaths due
to radiation, majority of damage costs are a result of the health
and environmental impact of the widespread radiation.
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5) https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/atomunfaelle-schadenskosten100~_origin-1b79086c-02a1-47ab-9d11-1e161e6180f1.html
6) http://www.nei.org/knowledge-center/nuclear-statistics/world-statistics/top-10-nuclear-generating-countries#
7) http://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/08/these-countries-have-the-most-nuclear-power-reactors