Risk communication practice after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident; Interactive explanatory meeting on radiation and its health effects in Ibaraki prefecture

Ayame, Junko ; Sugiyama, Kenji; Takashita, Hirofumi ; Yamamoto, Ryuichi

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories (NCL) of JAEA has held the explanatory meetings in Ibaraki prefecture since May 2011 in order to transmit factual information and reduce the excessive anxiety about radiation risk. Applying to our past risk communication process to the explanatory meetings, we built a process of interactivity between participants and our staff for the meetings. We incorporated the participants' needs into the meetings, and, as far as possible, we had interactive two-way communication so that the meetings were not one-way and persuasive but promote mutual understanding. According to the opinions and the results of questionnaire survey that were received from the participants, it became evident that the interactive explanatory meetings were effective in reducing participants' anxiety. This report explains the risk communication process for carrying out the explanatory meeting, and shows the activities of the meetings, questions and opinions from the participants, and questionnaire results that NCL implemented.