nuclear-news

Japan’s nuclear corruption

All 50 reactors have been suspended, but the nation still has power to heat toilet seats, light garish neon signs and run the ubiquitous vending machines despite the government’s repeated warnings of a possible power crunch.

the nation’s long-standing problem – excessively cozy ties between government officials and private enterprise.

 the tip of the iceberg in Japan’s corrupt power structure. Behind collusive ties between bureaucrats and power companies, “the public has been little short of becoming the guinea pig of radiation contamination,”

The media also have collusive ties with the power company as is often the case with Japanese newspapers and broadcasters.

Japan’s nuclear reactors run on corrupt structure, critics say http://www.brecorder.com/articles-a-letters/187/1186708/ MAY 07, 2012 TAKEHIKO KAMBAYASHI None of Japan’s 50 nuclear reactors is in operation after the last running unit was shut down Saturday.

With no power outages reported, some wonder why so much atomic power was needed in the earthquake-prone country to begin with.

Hokkaido Electric Power Co halted reactor 3 at Tomari Nuclear Power
Plant on the northern Japanese island on Saturday for scheduled
maintenance.

All 50 reactors have been suspended, but the nation still has power to heat toilet seats, light garish neon signs and run the ubiquitous vending machines despite the government’s repeated warnings of a possible power crunch.
Power companies have been unable to reactivate their idled reactors
because of public fears about nuclear power after last year’s disaster
at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

They now rely on thermal power generation. The plant, run by Tokyo
Electric Power Co (TEPCO), went into meltdown after a magnitude-9
earthquake and resulting tsunami knocked out power, leading to the
failure of its cooling systems in March 2011.
The nuclear disaster caused the plant to release radioactive material,
which resulted in widespread radiation contamination.

It also exposed the nation’s long-standing problem – excessively cozy
ties between government officials and private enterprise.
Nuclear power generation is highly profitable for power companies,
which are local monopolies and thus influential, and critics say
government officials also profit from the industry.
Independent journalist and author Katsuhisa Miyake said, for example,
that Hokkaido Governor Harumi Takahashi’s two main local organisations
– a political group and fund-management body – have been supported by
executives of Hokkaido Electric.
The Hokkaido Economic Federation, a major local business organisation
which has strongly backed Takahashi, a third-term governor, in
gubernatorial campaigns, is headed by Tatsuo Kondo, chairman of
Hokkaido Electric.
Noriko Mashita, the only Communist Party member among 104 prefectural
assembly members in Hokkaido, has long raised the issue of the cozy
ties between the utility and Takahashi, who used to work for the
Ministry of International Trade and Industry, now the Ministry of
Economy, Trade and Industry, which has promoted nuclear power
generation.
Mashita also said the ministry’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency
underestimated the possible impact of active geological faults near
the Tomari plant, run by Hokkaido Electric.
Mashita said she repeatedly pointed out the cozy relations, providing
information to local media outlets.

But they have produced very little coverage.
The media also have collusive ties with the power company as is often
the case with Japanese newspapers and broadcasters.
Mitsushige Hayashi, chairman of local paper Tokachi Mainichi, also
serves as vice chair of the Hokkaido Economic Federation and Masatoshi
Murata, president of the island’s biggest daily Hokkaido Shimbun, is
an executive board member of the body.
In December, months after Miyake reported on Takahashi’s ties for
online publication MyNews Japan, the governor finally said she would
thereafter refuse donations from Hokkaido Electric executives.
Mashita also said that retiring high-ranking local government
officials got well-paid posts at some of the utility’s affiliated
companies.
That practice is not unique to Hokkaido Electric.

Soon after the nuclear disaster at Fukushima, the government revealed
TEPCO now employs 32 retired officials from the Tokyo Metropolitan
Police Department.
Yoichi Mukae, a former Industry Ministry official who has served as
managing director of Kansai Electric Power Co since June 2009, had
reportedly pressured Fukushima prefecture to accept a project of
loading plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel at now defunct reactor 3 at
the Fukushima plant, Miyake said.
Despite mounting public opposition, the Industry Ministry has been
eager to restart two idled reactors at Oi Nuclear Power Plant, run by
Kansai Electric.
Miyake said this is probably the tip of the iceberg in Japan’s corrupt power structure.
Behind collusive ties between bureaucrats and power companies, “the public has been little short of becoming the guinea pig of radiation contamination,” Miyake said.

May 7, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, secrets,lies and civil liberties