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Arnie Gunderson: Radiation Expert on Fukushima, an Update

stock here: A-Eye assist as html….hope it works as requested. Arnie is in his late 70’s, he is aging out gracefully, but he never sold out by stepping away from truth, he never chased the “likes”, good on him!



What happened to Arnie Gundersen (the radiation/nuclear risk expert)?

In short: nothing “mysterious.” He didn’t vanish—he largely shifted from constant TV-era commentary (especially during Fukushima’s peak media years) to quieter work: education, consulting, and sworn technical filings in regulatory/legal proceedings.

Arnie Gundersen
Arnie Gundersen (photo hosted by Fairewinds “About Us” page).
Maggie Gundersen
Maggie Gundersen (photo hosted by Fairewinds “About Us” page).

Why you don’t hear him as much anymore

  • The news cycle moved on. Fukushima coverage dropped sharply after the initial years, and engineering-heavy analysis doesn’t “trend.”
  • He kept working—just not in the attention economy. Fairewinds publishes analysis, talks, and backgrounders rather than chasing daily headlines.
  • Age matters. He’s now in his late 70s, so output tends to be more selective and purpose-driven (testimony, curated briefings, longer-form pieces).

His Fukushima focus (what he stayed known for)

Gundersen’s most persistent technical emphasis around Fukushima was not “temple talk” or vague fear—he repeatedly drilled into specific failure modes and consequence pathways, especially:

  • Spent fuel pool risk (Unit 4 was the public flashpoint early on): he addressed Unit 4 spent fuel pool condition and risk in a 2012 Japan symposium-style presentation hosted by Fairewinds.
  • Ongoing uncertainty / narrative control: he later argued that institutional “framing” and information control shaped how the world interpreted the disaster and its continuing consequences.

Recent substantive work (last ~12 years)

Regulatory / sworn declarations (very “substantive”)

Fairewinds long-form pieces (public-facing but still technical)

Bottom line

Gundersen as “everywhere,” was largely the 2011–2015 media window. Since then, he’s been more present in regulatory filings, structured presentations, and Fairewinds’ long-form output than in mainstream broadcast rotation. For your blog credibility, the NRC PDFs and sworn declarations are the cleanest “substantive work” citations.

Sources used for this post: Fairewinds “About Us” page (images/biographical context), Fairewinds Fukushima presentation pages, and U.S. NRC docket PDFs referencing/including Gundersen declarations and petitions.

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