Japanese Nuclear Agency Scolds Fukushima Plant’s Operator

[bananas]

Source: New York Times

In an unusually public scolding, Japan’s nuclear watchdog agency criticized the operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant on Friday for making mistakes that allowed radioactive water to leak into the Pacific Ocean, and ordered it to quickly fix the problems.

The agency, the Nuclear Regulation Authority, summoned the president of the operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, to explain the accidents and spills that have plagued the cleanup of the Fukushima Daiichi plant since it suffered a triple meltdown two years ago. The most recent mishap came earlier this week, when the company, known as Tepco, said workers had spilled 114 gallons of contaminated water while trying to fill an already overflowing tank. It said some of the water might have run into the ocean.

In a public hearing, an official at the regulatory agency, Katsuhiko Ikeda, dressed down Tepco’s president, saying the problems raised serious questions about the company’s ability to operate its other nuclear plants, like the huge Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility, which Tepco wants to restart.

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Such blunt and direct criticism is rare in confrontation-averse Japan.

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Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/05/world/asia/fukushima-nuclear-plant-in-japan.html?_r=0

[bananas]

1. Japan's culture is being permanently changed by the continuing incompetence and corruption

The complacency, incompetence, and corruption of Japan's nuclear industry is resulting in permanent changes to Japanese culture.

And remember - Japan has one of the most competent nuclear industries in the world.

[DeSwiss]

2. We're way, way past the point where scolding does any good.

- K&R

ENENews.com – Energy News from Japan (Fukushima)

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