Summary and evaluation of the annual conference 2012: One year after Fukushima - first review by the German Commission on Radiological Protection

URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-201309167113

On 11 March 2011 at 2.46pm local time an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale struck northern Japan. The epicentre of the earthquake lay roughly 130km off the east coast of the northern part of Honshu, Japan's main island. The earthquake triggered a tsunami that destroyed coastal regions with 15m high waves roughly an hour later. The consequences of this natural disaster were devastating: 15,854 people were killed and some 6,000 were injured. In March 2012, one year after the catastrophe, over 3,000 people were still registered as missing and approximately 340,000 were still living in emergency shelters. Another consequence of this natural disaster was a very serious nuclear accident on the site of the Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, which was later categorised as INES level 7 by the Japanese government. The plant operated 6 boiling water reactors, blocks 1 to 4 of which were particularly affected by the accident. The reactor cores of blocks 1, 2 and 3 were largely destroyed. The result was a substantial release of radioactive material into the nuclear power plant's surrounding area, which meant comprehensive measures needed to be put in place to protect the general public.

In its annual conference in Hamburg from 14 to 16 March 2012, one year after the catastrophe and the consequent nuclear accident, the SSK carried out its first review from the point of view of radiation protection. During the assembly the current status of knowledge concerning the accident, its causes and consequences were presented, analysed and evaluated. In addition to this new findings and possible consequences in particular relating to radiation protection and emergency response in Germany were discussed.

The summarised statement exclusively refers to the knowledge available in March 2012.