Immelt Flies To Japan To Show Support For Executives At TEPCO - Reuters

[hatrack]

(Reuters) - General Electric Co Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt defended the nuclear industry's safety record on Monday during a trip to Tokyo to show support to the operator of a stricken nuclear plant using reactors designed by the U.S. conglomerate.

Immelt met with executives at Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), operator of the Fukushima power plant that was crippled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and is leaking radiation in the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986. GE and its nuclear business partner Hitachi Ltd have sent over 1,000 workers to help with the so far unsuccessful efforts to get the plant under control.

"We have more than 1,000 engineers who have worked around the clock since the incident began and we will continue short-term, medium-term and long-term work with TEPCO due to this horrific national disaster," Immelt told reporters after a meeting with Japan's trade minister. "But this is an industry that operated effectively for 40 years. And that's my expectation," he said.

A GE Japan spokeswoman later told Reuters that Immelt excluded the Chernobyl incident when referring to the industry's safety record over the past four decades because it did not involve facilities designed by Western or Japanese firms.

EDIT

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/04/us-japan-ge-idUSTRE7330QF20110404

[aquart]

1. Tokyo? Shouldn't he do a tour of Fukushima?

[xchrom]

2. what? nt

[90-percent]

3. Twisted analogy

Immelt going over to support Japan's nukes is like Hermann Goering going to Bergen-Belsen in support of Jewish people.

Not exactly, but who the hell are they kidding?

This thing is going biblical, due in great part to TEPCO's conflict over profits vs. the good of humanity.

Stricken nuclear plant? What about all the human beings stricken by radiation from said plant?

-90% Jimmy

[City Lights]

4. Don't stay in Tokyo! Take the platinum tour of Fukushima!

It's only a bit more than the silver one, and gives you an up-close-and-personal look at the situation. I'll even chip in for your ticket.

[ehrnst]

5. I hope he intends to apologize for the reactors that failed. (nt)

[femrap]

6. He said GE

has no responsibility for the 'accident.' Their design sucks.

Immelt....I'm Melt....as in meltdown. Eerie name, imho.