nuclear-news

Japan’s nuclear authority did not pass on information on Fukushima radiation

The information was passed to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) and the science and technology ministry by Japan’s Foreign Ministry but neither agency passed it to the prime minister’s office, which was overseeing the evacuations.

thousands fled in the same direction as the radioactive material was drifting.

People fled towards Fukushima radiation Stuff.co.nz, 20 June 12 Japanese authorities failed to disclose US data about the spread of radiation spewing from a crippled nuclear plant last year, leaving some evacuees fleeing in the same direction as the radioactive emissions.

News that Japan’s nuclear watchdog and the science and technology ministry sat on the information collected by US military aircraft – another sign of the chaos at the time – is likely to add to mistrust of nuclear power just days after the government approved the restart
of two idled reactors…

.. US military aircraft gathered radiation data from March 17-19 over a 45km radius and found that people in an area about 25km northwest of the plant – where some people were moving – were exposed to the annual permissible level of radiation within eight hours, Japanese media said.

The information was passed to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) and the science and technology ministry by Japan’s Foreign Ministry but neither agency passed it to the prime minister’s office, which was overseeing the evacuations.

“It is extremely regrettable that this information was not shared or
utilised properly within the government and I have no words to
apologise, especially to the disaster victims,” Industry Minister
Yukio Edano, top government spokesman during the crisis, told a news
conference.

The government had previously admitted that it failed to quickly
disclose computer forecasts showing the direction radioactive material
would disseminate, due to poor internal communication.

The result was that thousands fled in the same direction as the
radioactive material was drifting.

Two panels of experts, one appointed by the executive branch and the
other by parliament, are wrapping up investigations into the causes
and responses to the Fukushima crisis…..
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/japan-earthquake/7132186/People-fled-towards-Fukushima-radiation

June 20, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, secrets,lies and civil liberties