On Friday, September 30, the Japanese government cancelled evacuation advisories for areas located more than 20 km (12 miles) from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. The evacuation advisories initially affected 59,000 people, but 30,000 had already returned because radiation measurements showed them that there was no longer any reason to stay away from their homes. That indicates that irrational fear has begun to fade away.

The September issue of Nuclear News is available in hard copy and electronically for American Nuclear Society members (must enter ANS user name and password in Member Center). The issue contains a variety of features, including:

The hunt is on in Vietnam, Turkey, and elsewhere

The American Nuclear Society's Young Members Group, with the help of ANS's Nuclear Installation Safety Division, is organizing a panel session at the Young Professionals Congress (an embedded topical at the 2011 ANS Winter Meeting) on the history of severe nuclear accidents.

Vermont Yankee's opponents continue their campaign

Japanese and U.S. counterparts face major challenges over Fukishima, but for different reasons

A report by a Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff task force calls for sweeping regulatory change, but also acknowledges that information about the Fukushima accident is unavailable, unreliable, or ambiguous. What should be the response in the United States to the events in Japan?

Domestic liability laws and international issues may put limits on the country's ambitious plans to build new reactors

American Nuclear Society members and others, take a bow. Your contributions to the Japan Relief Fund have exceeded the $155,000 level. That's something to be proud of. There is still a need, however, for you to keep making donations to help our friends and colleagues, and their families, at the Fukushima Daiichi, Fukushima Daini, and Onagawa nuclear plants, all located on the damaged east coast of Japan.

Two people with long experience working with the nuclear industry-one in Japan and one in the United States-share some "hall talk" with ANS Nuclear Cafe about Fukushima

As President-Elect of the American Nuclear Society, I welcome my fellow ANS members and non-members to the 2011 June conference!

Perhaps one of the more enduring cartoons that relates to the quality of information on the Internet is the one that states, "On the Internet no one knows you are a dog." It shows a drawing of two dogs sitting in front of a computer terminal. Unfortunately, the cartoon is copyrighted material so it can't be reposted here, but you can see it here along with many variations. The point of the cartoon is that words and images on the screen can come from anywhere and anyone.Clearing up misconceptions and outright falsehoods about nuclear energy since the March 11 Fukushima earthquake and tsunami is getting more attention these days. Problems range from not mainstream journalists not understanding the technical issues to people who are publicity crazed fear mongers out to get their face on a video.

The June issue of Nuclear News has been published and is available in hard copy and electronically to American Nuclear Society members (click here-log-in required).

Yurman

In the weeks and months following the events at the Fukushima plant in Japan, the American Nuclear Society's Social Media listserv has become a headquarters for sharing information, ideas, and strategies about how to combat misinformation about nuclear energy. This active forum is facilitated by Dan Yurman, who through this effort has opened a new door for collaboration between communicators from all corners of the nuclear community. Many on this list have voiced concerns that the industry response to Fukushima has not yet managed to transition from defensive to offensive, in terms of public outreach.

The basic thesis of a post I wrote in January was that the Chernobyl accident was far enough in the past that the younger generation in the nuclear industry did not have the first-hand memories of the experience, and therefore lacked some of the emotional understanding of the event. I suggested that there should be a conscious effort to pass on how Chernobyl and Three Mile Island affected the culture of the industry.

Russia and Turkey say not so fast

Many American Nuclear Society members and groups across the United States have been energetically involved in the media, in their communities, and on campus during the recent events at the Fukushima plant. These members and groups have provided their knowledge and expertise to improve the accuracy of public discussions about the Fukushima events during a time when it has been sorely needed. This effort continues around the country as ANS members provide accurate, scientifically-sound information in front of TV cameras, at campus symposia, on local radio, in newspapers and journals, and by many other ways.

The hard-copy May issue of Nuclear News will soon be in the hands of American Nuclear Society members. It will also be available electronically to members.

On April 12, one month after the initiation of the tragedy at the Fukushima Daiichi I nuclear power plant, the Japanese government labeled the event a level seven accident-the most severe rating on the International Nuclear Events Scale (INES). This announcement heightened international concerns about the severity of the event and the potential for circumstances to worsen. This posting is intended to provide some clarification about these events in historical context.

Now that the recent events at the nuclear plants at Fukushima are largely behind us and the stabilization is underway, we look to the 25^th anniversary of Chernobyl and recognize that comparisons are inevitable.  But it's vital that we keep these events in perspective as we face the challenges of developing our energy resources for our global future.