After detailed analysis, the conclusion is that Japan should be responsible for the obligation of immediate notification and since Japan unilaterally discharge the wastes without prior specific permits of other contracting countries, it should also be responsible for the violation of prevention of dumping. Since so far, no material injury has emerged and there would appear to be no culpability as regards the prevention of transboundary harm. Finally, this paper stresses the necessity to develop a worldwide agreement concerning the liability for transboundary harm and to establish an institutional framework for the enforcement of a state’s obligations, and also the great significance of international cooperation between nations and organisations in relation to marine environmental protection.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.01.038

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Nuclear energy is a potential solution to electricity demand but also entails risks. Policy debates on nuclear accidents have focused primarily on negative impacts on humans. Although such impacts are important, we argue that policy debates must also consider the consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem services. We reviewed 521 studies conducted after the Chernobyl accident, the most severe nuclear accident in history. Elevated radiation levels have been recorded among a diversity of species, even up to thousands of kilometers away from the meltdown site, and after more than two decades following the accident. Close to the reactor, physiological and morphological changes have occurred. Negative effects on ecosystem services have been observed, including the contamination of water, soils, and wild food supplies. Informed policy decisions on nuclear energy require a greater understanding of the consequences of accidents, including effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Based on our review, we recommend to (1) fully incorporate risks for biodiversity and ecosystem services into policy debates; (2) develop a coherent information chain regarding such risks; (3) use proactive planning strategies to be prepared for potential accidents; and (4) develop a coherent research agenda on the consequences of nuclear accidents for biodiversity and ecosystem services.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-263X.2011.00217.x

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A major finding is detection of Fukushima-derived 134Cs and 137Cs throughout waters 30–600 km offshore, with the highest activities associated with near-shore eddies and the Kuroshio Current acting as a southern boundary for transport. Fukushima-derived Cs isotopes were also detected in zooplankton and mesopelagic fish, and unique to this study we also find 110mAg in zooplankton. Vertical profiles are used to calculate a total inventory of ∼2 PBq 137Cs in an ocean area of 150,000 km2. Our results can only be understood in the context of our drifter data and an oceanographic model that shows rapid advection of contaminants further out in the Pacific. Importantly, our data are consistent with higher estimates of the magnitude of Fukushima fallout and direct releases [Stohl et al. (2011) Atmos Chem Phys Discuss 11:28319–28394; Bailly du Bois et al. (2011) J Environ Radioact, 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2011.11.015]. We address risks to public health and marine biota by showing that though Cs isotopes are elevated 10–1,000× over prior levels in waters off Japan, radiation risks due to these radionuclides are below those generally considered harmful to marine animals and human consumers, and even below those from naturally occurring radionuclides.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1120794109

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The United States should fund a national program of research into inertial fusion energy, but it’s too early to pick a winning technology. So says an interim report released this week from a committee that has been surveying research at national laboratories and universities since July 2010 on behalf of the National Research Council. This interim conclusion will come as a relief to many in the field who have been concerned that the National Ignition Facility—the world’s largest and most advanced inertial fusion facility—would come to dominate the U.S. research effort.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.335.6073.1158

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“We could have been the first nuclear country in Southeast Asia, but we were not able to do it,” said Mauro Marcelo, a nuclear engineer at the National Power Corporation, the state-owned utility. “There are several dates when we could have become a nuclear country, but every time a catastrophic event happened. We don’t need to hire nuclear experts but feng shui masters to get rid of the bad luck.”Still reeling from Fukushima, the plant’s owners have decided to turn it into a tourist attraction, featuring a tour of the containment building. The plant, which has never generated a watt of electricity, is now producing revenues from the flow of tourists from the Philippines and abroad, especially Japan. Tours of the plant, whose owners sold off the uranium in 1997, are booked months ahead, said Dennis Gana, a spokesman for the utility.

Ed. Note: How about converting this to another form of energy plant such as geothermal or waste to energy? Certainly there are aspects of the system that could be used for other purposes than tourism.

Bataan Nuclear Plant, Never Opened, Now a Tourism Site – NYTimes.com

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► An increased risk of leukemia was found among men exposed to higher external radiation dose. ► Women were not found to have increased cancer risk among those exposed to higher external radiation dose. ► Higher background radiation exposure was related to elevated risk for cancer of the bronchus, trachea, and lung. ► Increased cancer risks from low-level radiation exposure within the TMI cohort were small. ► Additional follow-up on this population to explore the increased risk of leukemia found in men is necessary.

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2011.08.005

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