Monitoring Work in Kawauchi-mura, Fukushima

On Saturday, October 13, eight SVCF members monitored radiation level in Kawauchi-mura village, Fukushima Prefecture.

A residential house of approximately 160 square yards and a business place of approximately 400 square yards were monitored this time. Two groups of four members, with three taking readings and one recording the measurements were formed from the eight participating SVCF members.

The monitoring procedure was as follows: One member places numbered cards at the points of measurement and the other two members monitored the points in turn in the numerical order.

The weather of the day was fine and calm, just right for the monitoring work. Since SVCF monitoring team had practiced the monitoring repeatedly through workshops, etc., the monitoring work proceeded very smoothly. Most of the work was finished in the morning and the rest was completed within an hour after lunch and the SVCF members left Kawauchi-mura.

The village mayor of Kawauchi-mura declared a “Return to the Village Statement” in January this year for all village people to work together for their return to the village. In response to the statement, SVCF exchanged a memorandum with the village office in this September to provide supportive work for the returning residents of Kawauchi-mura. The supportive work includes cleaning, arrangement, and radiation measurement (monitoring) of the house for the families with difficulty for such work due to old age, etc. SVCF dispatches required personnel to provide help for such case.

The monitoring work this time has been provided as a part of such support activity.