| September 15, 2011 |
 by John MaguireCoastal Journal staff By Thursday, September 15, Mie and Steven Athearn and fellow "Walk for Fukushima" supporters will have reached York from their hometown of Rockland, on their way to the Japanese Consulate in Boston. They are walking the nearly 200 miles to seek protection for the children of the Fukushima, Japan area from exposure to radiation, and to raise awareness of the hazards of nuclear power. Six months have passed since the March 11 tsunami and earthquake, and in a recent press release, Steven says his wife Mie's family members are now experiencing "heightened stresses" relating to the radioactive material escaping the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. A statement on a Consulate-General press release dated April 17 reads, "We would like to deeply apologize again for the grave inconvenience and anxiety that the broad public has been suffering due to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. We will continue to make every endeavor to bring the situation under control." The Consulate-General outlines some objectives to gain control of the situation there. Their basic policy called for cooling the reactors and spent fuel rods, mitigating the release of radioactive material and work toward enabling people to return to their homes. The steps involve mitigation of radiation leaks, monitoring and decontamination, and keeping the public informed regarding the levels of radiation in evacuation areas.  Numerous regional articles tell of the hazards posed by increased levels of radiation and its effects on wildlife and natural resources. According to the news site "Asahi" (asahi.com), the Fukushima Prefecture is a large producer of shiitake mushrooms. A September 8 article states that shipment bans on the mushrooms have resulted over concerns that they and the logs on which the mushrooms grow have absorbed radioactive cesium. According to the Digital Journal, Greenpeace found radiation contamination in Fukushima City schools. And according to Japan Broadcasting Corporation (www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/English), the city of Fukushima was reviewing the student commuter routes in August, "due to higher than benchmark radiation levels."As for Mie's family back home in Japan, Steven said they are deeply concerned about the effects of radiation and it's reach into daily life there, from the food they eat to the air they breathe. He said that one of Mie's nieces was warned about the danger of having a baby right now; that it would not be safe. One of her nieces currently lives in Fukushima City and other family members live between 35 to 50 miles away, in Koriyama and Shirakawa, two other cities in Fukushima Prefecture. A YouTube video of six residents' groups meeting with representatives from the nuclear authority in Japan spurred Mie into action. (The video can be viewed on YouTube at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVuGc9dlhQ.) "That meeting didn't go so well," Steven said, via telephone from the First Parish Church in Saco. "She was shocked by the reactions of officials and decided she wanted to do something about it." The Athearns and fellow walkers have gained support from the Grafton Peace Pagoda and others on their journey to Boston, which they planned to reach by September 19. The completion of this walk will coincide with a "goodbye nukes" rally in Tokyo on the same day. Many residents in towns along the Maine coast have also offered their support. The Walk for Fukushima Facebook page (www.facebook.com/calipso1205?sk) features news articles, petitions, pictures, a schedule of events and other information. The couple, Peace Pagoda member Jun Yasuda and other walkers have been greeted by supporters, have attended suppers and rested during overnight stays along the way. Emails were sent out to networks of friends, while some people contacted the couple using the information they read in newspaper articles. Steven said the group walked to Scarborough, where they were interviewed on public access television. They also met with the mayor of Biddeford, who Steven said sympathized with their views on nuclear power. "It's been an experience," Steven said, also remarking on how the anger that initiated Mie to walk has been replaced with a renewed sense of strength. "Mie has really absorbed all the interest from passers-by, and it really has raised her spirits quite a bit." The couple expects to hear back from the Japanese Consulate in Boston regarding a hearing with the Consul-General. Steven said officials at the consulate had returned a message from Mie before the trip began, and that they wanted to know more about who was supporting their walk. The walk schedule includes a meeting in Hamden, New Hampshire regarding the status of the nuclear power facility in Seabrook. A public comment session of the meeting was scheduled and Steven said they anticipated meeting others in the area concerned about the safety of nuclear power. Steve said they are concerned about findings of radioactive material in the rice straw in Mie's hometown of Shirakawa. Asked what they would like to say to the Consul-General, he said, "I think they need to do more. There should be a coordinated effort to test and re-test all of these areas." Steve added the Japanese government should also test people who want to know what levels of radiation they have been exposed to. He said the government should offer more support for those who want to relocate. |
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