September 4, 2023 We held an IER Special Seminar. ＜Dr. Faybishenko＞
| Date & Time | Mon. September 4, 2023, 10:00 ‒ 11:00 JST |
| Venue | A602 in IER’s main building |
| Guest Speaker | Dr. Boris Faybishenko, Earth Staff Scientist Hydrogeology Department Energy Geosciences Division Earth and Environmental Sciences Area Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory University of California, Berkeley |
| Lecture Title | Modeling of Flow, Contaminant Transport and Meteorological Conditions |
On September 4th, 2023, Dr. Boris Faybishenko from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA, gave a special seminar, which was attended by 15 IER graduate students and IER members. In this seminar, Dr. Faybishenko introduced his research on groundwater in the U.S., groundwater in Ukraine, QA/QC, and fuzzy analysis of hydrological and environmental data. In his presentation, he also discussed the results of research on deep geologic disposal of radioactive waste in sedimentary and crystalline rock, bioremediation of heavy metals contaminated groundwater, and identified the importance of periodic measurement of chlorine as a tracer in groundwater as an indicator of leakage from subsurface water pipes. He also introduced the results of the U.S.-funded research on the evaluation of groundwater radioecological vulnerability in the 200 km by 200 km area surrounding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as well as demonstrated the results of the statistical analysis of meteorological parameters in Ukraine for the past 120 years. The results of the analysis of meteorological parameters showed the pattern of climate warming with the drastic increase in temperature in Ukraine since the 1980s, but precipitation either remained the same or decreased. At the end of his presentation, he illustrated the theoretical background and a practical application of using statistical methods the Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC), and methods of fuzzy system modeling to handle field data, which will be then used as inputs for numerical modeling. His approximately 40-minute talk covered several new concepts of groundwater hydrology and statistical modeling of data and was followed by a lively question-and-answer session.
After the seminar, a special memorial session was held for Dr. ONISHI Yasuo, who closely collaborated with Dr. Faybishenko, IER Director NANBA Kenji, Project Professor Aleksei KONOPLEV, and Visiting Researcher Mark ZHELEZNYAK.
【Special Memorial Session for Late Dr. ONISHI Yasuo (1943-2023) 】
Dr. ONISHI Yasuo, a prominent researcher in the field of environmental studies in the United States, passed away in late August.
Dr. Onishi was born in Osaka, Japan, and completed his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Osaka Prefecture University in 1969. He then moved to the U.S. and received his Ph.D. in fluid mechanics from the University of Iowa in 1972. As a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Dr. Onishi was involved in the modeling investigations and forecasting of radioactive contamination of soil and groundwater and the development of remediation methods and countermeasures against the spread of contamination at the U.S. DOE’s Hanford Site, the former atomic bomb manufacturing facility, which is located within the Columbia River basin. He was heavily involved in investigations of the consequences of the 1986 Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. Jointly with Ukrainian colleagues, he published several books and multiple reports, presenting an efficient approach to the study of radioactive contamination of the environment. His environmental research was based on humanism with an eye on the residents.
Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, he came to Japan and served as the coordinator of the U.S. DOE’s support for environmental remediation in Japan. Based on his DOE’s experience, Dr. Onishi played a key role in the support of radiation emergency response. For this achievement, he was awarded the DOE Secretary’s Award in October 2011. He closely interacted with other research and technical institutions, such as JAEA, lectured at the Japanese Society for Decontamination Research, and participated in projects jointly conducted by the Fukushima Prefecture and IAEA. He introduced to the scientists and engineers many of his research findings related to post-nuclear accident countermeasures and provided necessary advice. He has been a visiting professor at Higashi Nippon International University since 2015, and later became the director of the university’s Fukushima Institute for Reconstruction and Innovation in April 2017, where he has devoted himself to reconstruction efforts through education and research in Fukushima.
The news of Dr. Onishi’s passing was conveyed to IER’s Visiting Researcher Mark Zheleznyak by Dr. Onishi’s daughters, Lisa and Anna. Lisa is a prominent U.S. researcher in the field of chemistry, and Anna is a successful business executive.
The close connection between Dr. Onishi and Dr. Zheleznyak dates to 1989, which was the perestroika period of the former Soviet Union. The post-Chernobyl accident investigations were originally conducted secretly in the Soviet Union. However, after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, new opportunities arose for the Ukrainian researchers involved in the Chornobyl studies, and they were able to begin collaboration with foreign counterparts. Dr. Zheleznyak, together with Project Professor Aleksei Konoplev of IER and others, was able to conduct research on Chornobyl with Dr. Onishi at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory in Richland, Washington, USA. The Fukushima NPP accident provided an opportunity for them to reunite in Japan at the IER. All scientists who used to work under the tutelage of Dr. Onishi have significantly impacted the educational background of students and young scientists at the IER.
We extend our deepest condolences and pray for the repose of Dr. Onishi’s soul, we pledge to carry on his dedicated approach to research and commitment to the local communities in Japan, the USA, and Ukraine, as well as his engagement with the international community.
【Special Memorial Session for Late Dr. ONISHI Yasuo】
