nuclear-news

Evacuation plans last year, as Fukushima crisis occurred

Mr McLean revealed that Australia and other nations began compiling elaborate evacuation plans amid growing concern and uncertainly as the Fukushima plant began to explode.

The former ambassador confirmed Australia had evacuation plans in place but voiced the uncomfortable truth that, in reality, greater Tokyo (population 35 million) would have been almost impossible to evacuate.

Ex-ambassador frustrated by post-tsunami silence BY: RICK WALLACE, TOKYO CORRESPONDENT   The Australian March 10, 2012 AUSTRALIA’S former ambassador to Japan has told of his frustrations with the Japanese government for keeping its close partners in the dark about the extent of the damage to the Fukushima nuclear plant at the height of the crisis almost one year ago.

Murray McLean, who was ambassador in Tokyo for more than six years,
also said Japan had squandered an opportunity to push through vital
economic reform in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

In an interview with The Weekend Australian to mark tomorrow’s
anniversary of the disaster, Mr McLean revealed that Australia and
other nations began compiling elaborate evacuation plans amid growing
concern and uncertainly as the Fukushima plant began to explode.

“It was very difficult indeed to know there had been obvious damage to
the Fukushima nuclear plant and not be told very much about it,” he
said.

“If you believe some of the accounts of some of the insiders, they
(the government) knew a lot more than they were telling the public and
that’s frustrating. “We were not being told significantly more at all
than what was being told to the public. We were not getting much from
the Japanese government.”

The Japanese government has faced intense criticism as it has become
apparent that then prime minister Naoto Kan and cabinet colleague
Yukio Edano privately feared the catastrophe would render Tokyo
uninhabitable in the early days of the tragedy.

Meanwhile, the government, plant operator TEPCO and Mr Edano were
publicly downplaying the severity of what was occurring at the plant
250km north of Tokyo, in discussions with foreign governments and in
public appearances.

While unhappy with the information flow in the early days, Mr McLean
said that after the initial confusion Japan began supplying Australia,
the US and other nations with much more information on the nuclear
accident……
The former ambassador confirmed Australia had evacuation plans in
place but voiced the uncomfortable truth that, in reality, greater
Tokyo (population 35 million) would have been almost impossible to
evacuate.

“To be frank, I don’t know how it actually would have taken place
without complete chaos,” he said….
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/ex-ambassador-frustrated-by-post-tsunami-silence/story-e6frg6so-1226295396505

March 10, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA, Japan, secrets,lies and civil liberties