More than four years after thousands of workers converged on Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power during its meltdown to turn it off, reports have surfaced of the first cancer diagnosis linked to exposure to radiation during the recovery.
Japan’s ministry of health, labor, and welfare recently announced that an unnamed worker has developed acute myelogenous leukemia — a cancer of the blood and bone marrow — that was contracted in the course of duties performed on the grounds of the plant. The man, in his early 40s, worked on No. 3 and No. 4 reactors between 2012 and 2013. Shortly after finding out about his condition last year, he filed a claim.
“We are aware that a case of a cooperating company’s worker who worked at [Fukushima Daiichi] was recognized for worker’s compensation through reports,” Satoshi Togawa, a Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) spokesman, said in a statement.
“As applying for worker’s compensation is done by each employee or each employer, and recognizing this is handled by a labor standards supervision office, we are not in a position to make a comment. We offer our sincere sympathy for the cooperating company’s worker, and will continue to tackle [dose] reduction and thorough [dose] management at a work environment.”
The meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in 2011 followed an earthquake and tsunami. More than 160,000 people were forced from their homes during what counted as the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl 25 years earlier. Tepco deployed more than 44,000 workers to safely take it offline. Since 2011, hundreds of civilian deaths have been attributed to the chaos of the crisis and ongoing mental trauma. However, little has been said about radiation as a cause.
The recent cancer diagnosis of the worker follows news that children living near the area of the meltdown developed thyroid cancer, one of a bevy of ailments that correlate with exposure to radiation. The discovery debunked findings in a 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) report that suggested evacuees weren’t exposed to unhealthy levels of radiation. Earlier this month, officials restarted a nuclear reactor in Sendai and declared resettled areas safe for living.
The recovery worker’s cancer diagnosis calls into question the validity of WHO’s assertion that the radiation levels near Fukushima were safe. It also confirms some concerns about prolonged activity on the site of the nuclear plant.
Thus continues a saga peppered with claims of mismanagement.
In the months after the nuclear meltdown, Tepco faced criticism for what some described as its inadequate preparation for the impending earthquake and a tepid response in its aftermath. Allegations also circulated of subcontracted workers at the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant using lead covers to hide unsafe radiation levels. Meanwhile, Tepco fell behind schedule in completing an underground ice barrier that would stop groundwater from reaching the reactor’s lower levels.
Since the disaster, Tepco officials have documented their efforts to protect workers from reactive material, providing monthly reports to Japan’s ministry of health. Officials set the radiation dose limit to 1.71 mSv — a measurement of radiation absorption within a year. As of August, the average worker had an exposure level of .31 mSv, 15 points higher than what the man in question had. As one of more than 9,000 on-site contractors, he had most likely been exposed to more than double the level of radiation than company workers.
“We are addressing the improvement of their work environment to increase efficiency through the reduction of exposure via decontamination, etc. and the reduction of their workload by simplifying protective equipment, and ensuring the thorough provision of facilities to support their physical and mental well-being,” Tepco wrote on its website.
The public health conundrum in Japan bears some similarity to health issues that more than 50,000 9/11 first responders faced in the years after their valiant clean-up efforts at Ground Zero.
Wearing nothing more than their uniforms and paper masks, those workers were exposed to pounds of asbestos, mercury, fluorescent light bulbs, and other toxins. More than a decade after the terror attacks, 85 New York police officers and more than 100 firefighters have succumbed to health complications. Additionally, more than 4,100 people have been diagnosed with 50 types of cancers caused by exposure to on-site chemicals. They received compensation through the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.
The Japanese recovery worker diagnosed with leukemia, too, has received some compensation for loss of income, the amount which hasn’t been disclosed. Questions still remain of future cases, especially since three more workers have come forward with similar claims. Making matters worse, cleaning up melted fuel from broken reactors will cost tens of billions of dollars and take decades to complete, news that doesn’t bode well for recovery workers and people reeling from the 2011 nuclear meltdown and prior natural disasters.
“First signs of big trouble ahead for TEPCO as radiation exposure looks to be taking its toll on workers’ health,” Amir Anvarzadeh, Singapore-based global head of Japan equity sales at BGC Capital Partners Inc., told Bloomberg. “TEPCO could be facing huge lawsuits if and when radiation leaks are linked to health issues,” Anvarzadeh added.