2011 April 27 « nuclear-news

Government and nuclear industry intertwined in Japan

nuclear industry officials, bureaucrats, politicians and scientists — have prospered by rewarding one another with construction projects, lucrative positions, and political, financial and regulatory support. ……Japan would make the sale of nuclear reactors and technology the central component of a long-term export strategy to energy-hungry developing nations. A new company, the International Nuclear Energy Development of Japan, was created to do just that. Its shareholders were made up of the country’s nine main nuclear plant operators, three manufacturers of nuclear reactors and the government itself.

Safety Left Out in Japan’s ‘Nuclear Power Village, Culture of Complicity Tied to Stricken Nuclear Plant, New York Times, By NORIMITSU ONISHI and KEN BELSON, April 26, 2011 “……..Revolving Door In Japan, the web of connections between the nuclear industry and government officials is now popularly referred to as the “nuclear power village.” The expression connotes the nontransparent, collusive interests that underlie the establishment’s push to increase nuclear power despite the discovery of active fault lines under plants, new projections about the size of tsunamis and a long history of cover-ups of safety problems. Continue reading →

April 27, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

Fukushima will eventually be many times worse than Chernobyl

Chernobyl is over. Fukushima hasn’t really begun. Chernobyl released a huge radioactive cloud when it blew up. Fukushima will exceed the Chernobyl release in a year no matter what else happens…..Fukushima will be many times worse than Chernobyl and will continue for, possibly, hundreds of years.

Fukushima Could Be Worse — And It Will Be, April 25, 2011, Hawaii News Daily, By Tom Burnett “.. F-Daiichi is releasing 154 teraBecquerels of radionuclide particulate matter a day. Almost all of the reports repeat the statement that Fukushima has (so-far) released only about 10% of the radiation Chernobyl released. No problem. Well, they say, “It COULD have been worse.” IT WILL BE! Continue reading →

April 27, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | - Fukushima 2011 | Leave a comment

Majority of Americans expect eventual USA nuclear crisis

Poll: Most Americans think a nuclear accident is likely here, Miami Herald, BY DAVID LIGHTMAN, 27 April 11, MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS, WASHINGTON — Most Americans fear that the United States someday could face the kind of nuclear emergency that’s plagued Japan in recent weeks, according to a new McClatchy Newspapers-Marist poll.

“There’s clearly a good deal of concern, and there’s division about whether we’re suited to handle this,” said Lee Miringoff, the director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion in New York, which conducted the survey.

“Nuclear power is very controversial,” he noted.

The McClatchy-Marist survey found that a solid majority of Americans – 57 percent – think that a nuclear crisis is probable here; 41 percent thought such a crisis was likely, while another 16 percent said it was very likely.

Far fewer think it’s not going to happen: 31 percent said it wasn’t very likely, while 9 percent said it wasn’t likely at all…….Overall, the poll’s findings “are directed by attitude, not demographics. They cut across the traditional political demarcations. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue,” Miringoff said.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/26/2186643/poll-most-americans-think-a-nuclear.html#ixzz1KkwV1IxD

April 27, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | opposition to nuclear, USA | Leave a comment

Jaitapur anti nuclear protestors continue, despite police crackdown

Fresh charges against Sena MLA Salvi for Jaitapur role, Times of India, Simit Bhagat, TNN | Apr 27, 2011, MUMBAI: The Ratnagiri police have slapped fresh charges on Shiv Sena MLA Rajan Salvi for his role in the protest against the Jaitapur nuclear power project in Sakhri Nate village on April 18. The violent protest led to police firing, which caused the death of a local fisherman. …..In Mumbai, around 300 activists from Left parties like the CPI and the CPI(M), and environmental activists demonstrated against the Jaitapur nuclear project.shouted slogans against the nuclear power plant and took out a rally from Dadar station till Lower Parel.

The idea of the rally was to protest against the repressive measures being used by the police to crush any peaceful protests against the nuclear power plant,” said Vivek Sundara, an activist from Azadi Bachao Andolan, who was a part of the rally.
Krishan Takhar, a student of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) said, “We will continue to protest against the nuclear power plant ….http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Fresh-charges-against-Sena-MLA-Salvi-for-Jaitapur-role/articleshow/8094659.cms

April 27, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

No room for complacency about Japan’s nuclear reactors

Every functional nuclear plant is being pushed to the limit and beyond in order to maintain a semblance of normality – but they are ALL in bad repair and are sitting ducks for the next mega-quake….or for ONE overworked plant manager to make a bad decision. Or simply overuse…………There also seem to be problems at :

Onagawa reactor #3
Fukushima Daini reactor #3
Tokai Reactor #3
Kashiwazaki reactor #3……the core is generating deadly radiation

Fukushima Could Be Worse — And It Will Be, April 25, 2011, Hawaii News Daily, By Tom Burnett “……..I have information from Yoichi ‘boots on the ground’ that smoke was emitting from Kashiwazaki last week after the MAG 7,1 EQ. which occurred off Honshu on 7 APR 2011. Continue reading →

April 27, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | - Fukushima 2011, Japan, safety | Leave a comment

How a Fukushima safety whistleblower was blackballed

Despite a new law shielding whistle-blowers, the regulator, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, divulged Mr. Sugaoka’s identity to Tokyo Electric, effectively blackballing him from the industry

Safety Left Out in Japan’s ‘Nuclear Power Village, Culture of Complicity Tied to Stricken Nuclear Plant, New York Times, By NORIMITSU ONISHI and KEN BELSON, April 26, 2011, TOKYO — Given the fierce insularity of Japan’s nuclear industry, it was perhaps fitting that an outsider exposed the most serious safety cover-up in the history of Japanese nuclear power. It took place at Fukushima Daiichi, the plant that Japan has been struggling to get under control since last month’s earthquake and tsunami. Continue reading →

April 27, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | civil liberties, Japan | 1 Comment