nuclear-news

Unprecedented criticism of Tokyo Electric Power Company

The IAEA’s 10-day visit, which began on Monday, coincides with mounting criticism of the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, as it becomes clear that the damage caused by the March 11earthquake and tsunami was far worse than initially thought. Its findings could have a significant impact on public attitudes toward both the plant’s operator and the Japanese government, and are certain to attract the interest of other countries with nuclear power plants.

Tepco’s handling of Japan’s nuclear crisis under severe scrutiny, The International Atomic Energy Agency’s visit to Japan this week coincides with unprecedented criticism of the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s handling of Japan’s nuclear crisis following the March 11 earthquake. CSMonitor.com, By Justin McCurry,  May 26, 2011 Ichinoseki, Japan

Japan’s handling of its nuclear crisis will come under unprecedented scrutiny as the arrival this week of a team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] begins an investigation into Japan’s biggest nuclear accident.

The IAEA’s 10-day visit, which began on Monday, coincides with mounting criticism of the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, as it becomes clear that the damage caused by the March 11earthquake and tsunami was far worse than initially thought. Its findings could have a significant impact on public attitudes toward both the plant’s operator and the Japanese government, and are certain to attract the interest of other countries with nuclear power plants.

The team, led by Michael Weightman, Britain’s chief nuclear safety inspector, expects to find answers to what one Japanese official described as a “long list of questions.”…..

Japan’s top government spokesman, Yukio Edano said: ”The IAEA team’s visit to investigate the accident is important from the standpoint of ensuring transparency to get to the bottom of this accident.”

The operator, Tokyo Electric Power [Tepco], did little to further its faltering reputation on Thursday, when it altered its account of its initial response to the nuclear accident.

The firm said it had continued to inject seawater into one of the damaged reactors soon after the March 11 tsunami, reversing an earlier statement in which it said it had suspended the risky measure amid pressure from the prime minister’s office……

Quake may have damaged plant

Questions have also been raised about Tepco’s original explanation for the damage inflicted on the plant. For weeks, it claimed that power to vital cooling systems inside the reactors was knocked out by the tsunami that followed the earthquake.

But data from the plant indicated that the earthquake had been more powerful than three of the six reactors were built to withstand, raising the possibility that at least one of the reactors was disabled before the tsunami arrived….

Tepco’s handling of Japan’s nuclear crisis under severe scrutiny – CSMonitor.com

May 27, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | - Fukushima 2011