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Emails reveal how UK govt and nuclear industry conspired to downplay Fukushima disaster

“There is  a risk that this event could impact on the global industry.  We need to ensure that the anti nuclear chaps and chapesses do not gain ground on this. we need to occupy the territory and hold it… We need to get into context – show that the events in Japan…. are all part of the safety processes of this 1960s reactor. We also need to pull out the additional safety of Gen III…

Should also highlight and show that this is what has happened even with the 1960s reactor in Japan, radiation release has been controlled – the reactor has been protected.

We really need to show the safety of nuclear. We need to quash any stories trying to compare this to Chernobyl…    We do not want to be on the back foot with this. People at new build sites are likely to be following closely…. The mitigation with nuclear is so high that the risk is minimal – as demonstrated in Japan”    

  UK  government and nuclear industry email correspondence after the Fukushima accident, guardian.co.uk, 30 June 2011

Emails released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal the level of coordination between government departments and the nuclear industry during the Fukushima crisis.

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/interactive/2011/jun/30/email-nuclear-uk-government-fukushima

July 2, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | secrets,lies and civil liberties, UK