Decontamination-oriented Reconstruction Policy and the Regional Economy in Fukushima

Abstract

This paper examines reasons related to governmental budget constraints that explain why the Japanese government has never given an evacuation order to areas with more than 5 mSV of radiation exposure per year. Both TEPCO and the government seek to obscure the accident and its resultant damage; they avoid clearly explaining the entire contaminated zone. The evacuation zone is set only for a 20-km radius of the plant and the area of exposure over 20 mSV, enabling the central and local governments and TEPCO to compensate at a minimum cost by means of decontamination projects. Ignoring possible public health risks, the governments and TEPCO can ensure the national economy's balance by avoiding the issue of a new, astronomical, and unaffordable national bond for the indemnity of additional evacuation compensation.