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Tepco shares plunge, – Fukushima compensation more than $100 billion?

Tepco wants government help for compensation payments BBC News 10 May 11 ……Total compensation claims are yet to be known, but analysts say they may be more than $100bn (£61bn). Engineers are still struggling to contain damage at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in northeastern Japan.

The government of Prime Minister Naoto Kan is now under pressure to review Japan’s energy policy, which has been heavily dependent on nuclear power.

…… Shares in Tepco have plunged since the 11 March quake and subsequent tsunami.

Japanese media has reported that Tepco may have to raise electricity prices in order to help pay for payments….. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13330263

May 10, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, Japan | Leave a comment

Don’t trust nuclear power people’s story on Fukushima disaster

“It’s very important to have scientists who are not already paid by the nuclear power industry,” …”If they are the same people from Euratom and national authorities they use today, why would they say anything different to what they say all the time?”

Deadly Silence on Fukushima, (VIDEO) Huffington Post , Vivian Morris, : 05/ 9/    I received the following email a few days ago from a Russian nuclear physicist friend who is an expert on the kinds of gases being released at Fukushima. Here is what he wrote:

About Japan: the problem is that the reactor uses “dirty” fuel. It is a combination of plutonium and uranium (MOX). I suspect that the old fuel rods have bean spread out due to the explosion and the surrounding area is contaminated with plutonium which means you can never return to this place again. It is like a new Tchernobyl. Personally, I am not surprised that the authority has not informed people about this. Continue reading →

May 10, 2011 Posted by | Japan, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

Japan’s richest man pushes for move away from nuclear energy

Masayoshi Son, the founder of Softbank and Japan’s richest man, said last month that he would donate about $12 million to start a research foundation for renewable energy. Continued reliance on atomic energy, he told a news conference, “would be a sin against our children, grandchildren and future generations.”

Japan’s Nuclear Future in the Balance, New York Times, by ANDREW POLLACK,  May 9, 2011 TOKYO — The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant has done more than spew radiation into the air and sea and force tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes. It has blown a big hole in Japan’s energy policy, which had assumed that nuclear power would supply a growing part of the country’s needs….. Continue reading →

May 10, 2011 Posted by | Japan, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

US Japan nuclear marketing scheme, with secret plans for Mongolian waste dump

Negotiations on building the facilities were kept secret as it was feared that if the plans came to light at the negotiation stage, then China and Russia — countries through which the fuel could pass — might interfere and protests could erupt from Mongolian residents.

Japan, U.S. negotiating construction of nuclear waste facility in Mongolia, Mainichi Daily News 10 May 11 ULAN BATOR, Mongolia –“…….the marketing of nuclear plants is big business — a single reactor sells for hundreds of billions of yen. The Japanese government regards the overseas sale of nuclear power plants as a pillar of the nations’ growth strategy. It has already tied a deal with Vietnam and is in negotiations with India and Turkey. However, Russia and other countries have gone a step ahead by marketing their reactors and the collection of spent nuclear fuel together as a set, which has put Japan and the U.S. on the back foot. Continue reading →

May 10, 2011 Posted by | Japan, marketing, USA | Leave a comment

Close Hamaoka Nuclear Plant – call by Japan’s Prime Minister

Japan PM Wants Another Nuclear Plant Closed Over Quake Fears, ABC News, By AKIKO FUJITA, TOKYO May 6 2011, Japan urged a power company today to temporarily shut down operations at another nuclear plant that straddles a major fault line for fear it would not survive a major earthquake and tsunami.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said during a news conference today that he requested the suspension of reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear plant over safety concerns, citing a study that said there was an 87 percent chance of a magnitude 8.0 earthquake striking central Japan within the next 30 years.

The Hamaoka plant is located in Shizuoka, 155 miles west of Tokyo, and sits on an active earthquake fault. Officials estimate the shutdown could last two years…..Japan Wants Another Nuclear Plant Suspended Out of Quake Fears – ABC News

May 8, 2011 Posted by | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

Japan radiation monitoring – new comprehensive open source

Radiation monitoring in Japan goes crowd, open source,  CNET, by Eric Mack, May 6, 2011 A new open and crowdsourced initiative to deploy more geiger counters all over Japan looks to be a go. Safecast, formerly RDTN.org, recently met and exceeded its $33,000 fund-raising goal on Kickstarter, which should help Safecast send between 100 and 600 geiger counters to the catastrophe-struck country.

The data captured from the geiger counters will be fed into Safecast.org, which aggregates radiation readings from government, nonprofit, and other sources, as well as into Pachube, a global open-source network of sensors. Safecast is one of the larger crowdsourced monitoring efforts, not unlike a similar effort in the United States that predated the Japanese disaster.

For the last month, the Safecast crew and volunteers have been collaborating with universities in Japan and driving their geiger counters around the country and taking measurements. Safecast’s early monitoring trips north of Tokyo returned some disturbing findings, including elevated radiation levels in a kindergarten classroom….Radiation monitoring in Japan goes crowd, open source | Crave – CNET

May 8, 2011 Posted by | Japan, technology | 1 Comment

Japan’s most dangerous nuclear power plant

 Hamaoka, Japan’s Most Infamous Nuclear Plant? WSJ May 6, 2011, The Hamaoka nuclear power plant may not be as well known around the world as Fukushima Daichi, crippled by the March 11 disasters. But the complex that Prime Minister Naoto Kan ordered closed down Friday is extremely well known in Japan. In fact, it’s infamous.

The plant, operated by Chubu Electric Power Co., is sited on Japan’s east coast, about 200 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, by Omaezaki city in Shizuoka prefecture. Omaezaki is known for its fishing and its green tea. And also for being sited pretty much, some say, on the fault line in the area that would be hit by the next, historically overdue “Tokai earthquake” – a long-feared “Big One” that could wreak havoc in the Kanto region that includes the capital…..Hamaoka, Japan’s Most Infamous Nuclear Plant? – Japan Real Time – WSJ

May 8, 2011 Posted by | Japan, safety | Leave a comment

Fukushima crisis: – unstable reactor, parents’ protest on new radiation rules

Tepco is still pumping nitrogen into the unstable reactor in an effort to prevent another hydrogen explosion. ….school children could be [now be legally] exposed to 20 times more radiation than the amount previously permissible.

Japan Nuclear Disaster Update, CleanEnergy Footprints   May 5“……though the ensuing nuclear disaster has been superseded by other worldwide news events, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) and the Japanese government are still struggling to gain control of the severely damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
As was the case in our update from last week, emergency cooling efforts continue at reactor Units 1, 2, 3 and 4. Reactor Unit 1 remains the primary concern as temperatures and pressure continue to rise, Continue reading →

May 6, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011 | Leave a comment

Fukushima nuclear accident could cost tax-payer $trillions

“In America, ….. the necessary insurance for nuclear operators is capped at just $375 million by law,

Ultimate costs from nuclear accidents can be difficult to predict, but many estimates place total damages, including economic loss, in the trillions.……

a severe accident at just one of Southern Company’s existing Plant Vogtle reactors in Georgia could cause up to 39,000 immediate injuries and cost over $70 billion (in 1982 dollar and Census figures).

Japan Nuclear Disaster Update, CleanEnergy Footprints   May 5“…….Despite all of the concern over health, radiation and environmental hazards raised by this disaster, Tepco shockingly does not have disaster insurance. Speculations are that the company will be nationalized and that the Japanese government, which likely means taxpayers, will assume the burden of Tepco’s massive liabilities. Continue reading →

May 6, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, business and costs, Japan | Leave a comment

Pop artists cancel Japan visit for fear of radiation

Justin Bieber Crew Refusing to Do Japan Shows Over Radiation Fears, GossipCop 6 May Justin Bieber’s stage crew is refusing to go to Japan for two concerts scheduled later this month over fears of radiation from the recent nuclear disaster.

The crew is apparently arguing that it’s unsafe to visit the country for the planned May 17 and May 19 shows, noting that Avril Lavigne and Slash have already cancelled their Japan concerts.…Justin Bieber Japan shows | Justin Bieber radiation | Justin Bieber crew revolt | Gossip Cop

May 6, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011 | Leave a comment

Courageous battle to save Fukushima’s abandoned animals

The Hachiko Coalition is calling for the organized, and immediate evacuation of all uncontaminated domestic animals and livestock inside the exclusion zone.

Tens of thousands of concerned people have signed on to multiple petitions requesting evacuation on the Internet..

Hachiko Coalition: Animal Rescuers Defy Orders, Enter TEPCO Radiation Exclusion Zone to Rescue Starving Pets  SF Gate, May 04, 2011 The Hachiko Coalition calls attention to the plight of pets left inside the evacuation zone in Japan. Continue reading →

May 5, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011, Japan, Religion and ethics | Leave a comment

Containers from Japan exceed EU radiation limits

Belgium finds radiation on containers from Japan,  * Containers discovered by staff in port of Zeebrugge * Radiation levels surpass EU limits on some rust spots

BRUSSELS, May 4 (Reuters) – Belgium’s radiation safety regulator has discovered radiation levels surpassing European Union limits on a shipping container from Japan, the agency said on Wednesday.The agency is decontaminating the container after it found radiation from Cesium-137 being emitted at a level of 0.5 microsieverts per hour in two rust spots.This exceeds a limit of 0.2 microsieverts per hour suggested by European officials. ..http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE7432CI20110504

May 5, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011 | Leave a comment

US doctors say that Japan’s revised radiation rules endanger children

the exposure limit set for school grounds in the area affected by radiation from the crippled nuclear power plant  – 20 millisieverts per year – puts children and pregnant women at an unacceptable risk for cancer.

Japan: Are Kids Being Exposed to Too Much Radiation?, TIME  by KRISTA MAHR , May 3, 2011 , A U.S. medical group has slammed the Japanese government and senior nuclear adviser Toshiso Kosako has tearfully resigned over the levels of radiation exposure Tokyo says are safe for students at elementary and junior high schools in Fukushima prefecture. Continue reading →

May 4, 2011 Posted by | health, Japan | 3 Comments

Grave financial risk for Japanese government if TEPCO insolvent

unlimited liability could push TEPCO into insolvency and force the government to take a majority stake in the company

Japan’s Nuclear Rescue Plan: The Unintended Consequence of Unlimited Liability, BNet, By Kirsten Korosec | May 3, 2011, The Japanese government — once bosom buddies with Tokyo Electric Power — wants the company to face unlimited liability for damages from itstroubled Fukushima nuclear power plant. Continue reading →

May 4, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, Japan | Leave a comment

Robot reveals high radiation inside Fukushima nuclear plant

 Robot sends back footage from inside Fukushima plant. Telegraph 4 May 11, Tokyo Electric Power Company release new video shot by a remote-controlled robot, showing inside reactor No. 1 at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

….  monitoring equipment showed that radiation levels were far higher than expected.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said it will combat the danger by installing fans with filters at the damaged reactor in an attempt to reduce radiation inside to one-twentieth of current levels.

TEPCO has said it may take the rest of the year to bring the nuclear plant back under control…… http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8491624/Robot-sends-back-footage-from-inside-Fukushima-plant.html

May 4, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011 | Leave a comment

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