Japan's atomic disaster due to "collusion" : panel report

[Fledermaus]

Japan's Fukushima nuclear crisis was a preventable disaster resulting from "collusion" among the government, regulators and the plant operator, an expert panel said on Thursday, wrapping up an inquiry into the worst nuclear accident in 25 years......

"Across the board, the Commission found ignorance and arrogance unforgivable for anyone or any organization that deals with nuclear power. We found a disregard for global trends and a disregard for public safety," the panel said

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/05/us-japan-nuclear-report-idUSBRE8640K420120705

[madokie]

1. Thing is I've been saying this since day one here

Known it was this way for years. It appears that no lessons were learned from this disaster yet

[Fledermaus]

4. but, but, but we were all told that Fukushima was a statistical impossibility!!

Apparently, we can expect a Chernobyl, 3 Mile Island, or Fukushima every 20 years, or less more nuclear power plants.

[madokie]

6. Not only were we told that, we're still being told that

'course many of us aren't listening any longer. On many fronts nuclear is not the way out of this mess, in fact it has indirectly contributed as much as coal has in getting us here due to the lie that it was perfectly safe and clean of which nuclear is neither. The kicker is by pursuing nuclear we lost out on many opportunities to have a cleaner more reliable power source that would have us off the middle eastern oil tit today. I realize that the majority of our oil isn't from there any longer but our energy mix is still way too much oil. IMO

[bananas]

2. The earthquake by itself may have caused the meltdowns, not just the tsunami

Damage from the huge March 11, 2011, earthquake, and not just the ensuing tsunami, could not be ruled out as a cause of the accident, the panel added, a finding with serious potential implications as Japan seeks to bring idled reactors on line.

[Kolesar]

3. Nuclear energy defies effective management

Tepco came under heavy criticism in the report, partly for putting cost-cutting steps ahead of safety as nuclear power became less profitable over the years. "While giving lip service to a policy of 'safety first', in actuality, safety suffered at the expense of other management priorities," the team said.
***
In business, the first place to "cut corners" is in "non-value added activities" like training and regulatory compliance. There is no saintliness that gets the nuclear companies beyond this temptation.

[Nihil]

5. As you said ...

> In business, the first place to "cut corners" is in "non-value added activities"
> like training and regulatory compliance. There is no saintliness that gets
> the nuclear companies beyond this temptation.

That was the ultimately the same problem with Bhopal (and many other high-fatality
catastrophes): cut the corners until you come to a crashing halt.

Like a variation of the Peter Principle, the only people that get promoted
high enough to make a difference are those who will not make a difference
but simply continue the corruption of "profit uber alles".

"We have met the enemy and he is us."