June 27, 2025, we held an IER Special Seminar. <Prof. Thomas E. JOHNSON>
| Date & Time | Fri. June 27, 2025, 10:20-11:50 JST |
| Venue | 6F Conference room, Main Bldg. IER/Online (Zoom) |
| Guest Speaker | Professor Thomas E. JOHNSON, Colorado State University (CSU) |
| Lecture Title | A review of the Hanford Site Contamination and the Three Mile Island Accident |
| Participants | 24 |
In some of the classes of the Master’s Program of Major in Environmental Radioactivity, distinguished external researchers are invited as guest lecturers, and their classes are open to other faculty members on campus as “Special Seminars”.
On June 27, the lecture on the subject “Nuclear Disaster Studies” by Prof. Thomas E. JOHNSON was attended by 24 researchers and students.
Prof. Johnson presented the Hanford site operational history and nuclear contamination legacy and the key points of the Three Mile Island (TMI) accident that occurred in the Unit 2 reactor of the TMI Nuclear Power Plant, USA on March 29th 1979. In Washington state, the Hanford site area is about four times larger compared to the Difficult-to-Return Zone in Fukushima Prefecture and was designated as a part of the Manhattan Project implementation and US nuclear arsenal development. As a result, the Hanford site contains enormous amount of high-level radioactivity waste requiring on-going decontamination activities and leading to countless issues of environmental remediation for the soil and groundwater. For the TMI accident, Prof. Johnson gave a brief overview of the cause, prevention actions, and accident aftermath based on his first-hand experience in the topic.
In the Q&A time, the audience demonstrated a great interest and engaged Prof. Johnson in an illuminating scientific discussion based on covered topics, especially the influence of the geology under the Handford site on faster tritium transport to the nearby Columbia River compared to other radionuclides, as well as the noble gases releases during the TMI accident and lessons learned. For the concluding remarks, Prof. Johnson expressed his sincere gratitude for this opportunity and willingness to participate in the IER special seminar online format.
 Seminar flyer |  Audience |
 Project Associate Prof. Gusyev, the moderator |