"Full Meltdown and Breach Probable" -- Japan PM Studying plan for alternate capital away from Tokyo

[FourScore]

Mon May 02, 2011 at 09:54 AM PDT
Fukushima: Tokyo is on the Roof
by nathguy

EXCERPT:
...Japanese Prime Ministers Appointed Expert on Radiation Safety quits in tears saying the Government has no basis for Raising radiation limits. The senior Nuclear Power expert in Japan who is one of the big advocates for Nuclear power, states "Full Meltdown and Breach Probable", and The Japanese PM is studying creating plans for an Alternative Capital in the event of Disaster. Japan Arts community protesting Fukushima. Japanese arts community stages protest of Fukushima, compares it to Hiroshima...

SNIP

...I didn't want to report this without something solid to go on.
http://www.infiniteunknown.net/2011/05/02/japan-pm-naoto-kan-to-study-possibility-of-setting-up-an-alternative-capital-blames-tepco-and-japanese-government-for-fukushima-accident/

Kan said measures were not taken despite previous accidents and warnings, and that he must admit that the utility and the government failed to fully deal with the situation.

He also suggested that he will study the possibility of setting up an alternative capital to take over Tokyo’s role in an emergency, saying that measures must be taken to secure the continuity of the capital’s central functions.

Ok Folks. That's NHK. That's the Big Japanese News Station, it's not some little UHF station, this is big national media. I wanted to get a video clip or something to report a story of this level. We don't want to be accused of Hype or Drama or something like that...


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/02/972262/-Fukushima:-Tokyo-is-on-the-Roof

[malaise]

1. This is one hell of a disaster

but you'd never know based on coverage in the media. The nuclear lobby clearly has power

[nc4bo]

2. It's been so quiet in the media, now little trickles are coming down

and making the situation known, again.

What a freaking mess we have on our hands dealing with these nuke plants.

K&R

[marmar]

3. OMG !!!

I can't believe how little attention this is getting.

[Teaser]

5. because it's crazy talk

.

[Chris_Texas]

6. Yep

[Teaser]

4. not happening

The "move the capital" thing is a contingency for future disasters. It is not part of the planning phase for this one.

[Chris_Texas]

7. Obviously. And it is disgusting the way the anti-nuke folks are behaving

[Gabi Hayes]

14. eSPECIALLY the way they forced them to build the plants all together in one spot,

and without sufficient seawall protection

and with no safe location for the spent fuel rods (right NEXT to the reactor containment vessel)



DAMN them!

you posting from Japan, where you're helping clean up the famously safe reactor site?

hope so

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FourScore]

21. LOL! Welcome to DU, cattleprodigal!

:hi:

[Generic Other]

23. You mean how we recklessly disregarded lives, used junk science to promote a dangerous industry

in order to make profits never once considering the health of the people they put in harm's way by insisting on the safety of their industry--one which can build them but still does not have a clue how to contain, maintain or clean up after itself?

Is this the disgusting way anti-nuke people act?

What a crock of BS.

[CrispyQ]

32. +1

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[roguevalley]

31. I'm anti nuke. it sucks ass what's happened and how the gov't

is lying to their own people about this. considering I get their asstastic radiation before you do, hear me scream.

[buddysmellgood]

8. What exactly does he think will happen to Tokyo?

[Downtown Hound]

26. Well, if the plants melt down, and the winds shift towards Tokyo

Well, let's just say that not many people will be visiting there for quite some time.

[buddysmellgood]

27. So it will be so bad that the government can't operate, but 13 million people will have to deal.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Ok now it is official

FUBAR would be an improvement

[reggie the dog]

10. i cry for the japanese people

and now think that we must push for a maximum of green energey sources and work away from nuclear. i used to lump nuclear in with "green energy" based on co2 output but this radiation shit is horrible too.

[godai]

11. You should correct your title. PM did not say that.

Regarding the 'meltdown', that was not Kan, the PM.

[FourScore]

12. Thanks! I knew there was something wrong with my title and I couldn't see what it was.

I kept looking at it, but I was focusing on the second part about Tokyo, so I didn't see the problem. That was it!

[nc4bo]

15. Might as well the current URGENT message in your OP too....

for more eyes to see.

Something about fuel rods melting...

http://www.infiniteunknown.net/2011/05/02/urgent-radiation-leaks-from-fuel-rods-suspected-at-tsuruga-nuclear-plant-xenon-up-75000-percent/

Scary and serious stuff indeed and not many posts about it these days.

[FourScore]

18. You should post that! That's a completely different plant! n/t

[nc4bo]

13. True. Just a senior official not PM.

I reckon OP should have included links to that statement.

[FourScore]

16. I changed the title! Thanks! n/t

[nc4bo]

17. You're cool - glad to see someone reminding us it still exists. nt

[FourScore]

20. Awww. I needed that today. Thank you so much nc4bo!

:hug:

[dgibby]

22. Ditto! n/t

[FourScore]

28. Thanks, dgibby!

:hug:

[suffragette]

24. Raising radiation exposure levels for children one factor in Kosako's quitting

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110503a1.html
The PSR statement directly challenges Tokyo's stance that it is safe for schoolchildren to use school playgrounds in the prefecture as long as the dose they are exposed to does not exceed 20 millisieverts over a year.

The PSR view is also in line with that voiced by Toshiso Kosako, who said Friday he would step down as an adviser to Prime Minister Naoto Kan on the Fukushima nuclear crisis in protest. The University of Tokyo professor urged the government to toughen guidelines on upper limits on radiation levels the education ministry recently announced for elementary school playgrounds in Fukushima.



Fukushima parents dish the dirt in protest over radiation levels
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/02/parents-revolt-radiation-levels

Children can now be exposed to 20 times more radiation than was previously permissible. The new regulations have prompted outcry. A senior adviser resigned and the prime minister, Naoto Kan, was criticised by politicians from his own party.

Ministers have defended the increase in the acceptable safety level from 1 to 20 millisieverts per year as a necessary measure to guarantee the education of hundreds of thousands of children in Fukushima prefecture, location of the nuclear plant that suffered a partial meltdown and several explosions after the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March.

It is estimated that 75% of Fukushima's schools may have radiation levels above the old safety level of 1 millisievert. The local authorities in Koriyama have tried to ease the problem by digging up the top layer of soil in school and day centre playgrounds, but residents near the proposed dump site have objected.

~~~

Kan has lost one of his chief scientific advisers over the latest decision. Toshiso Kosako – a Tokyo University professor who was called in to help deal with the crisis – walked out on Friday and has since accused the government of ad hoc policy making and contravening internationally accepted norms for the sake of political expediency.




It was challenging to decide what paragraphs from the Guardian article to include in this post. Not a long article, but a powerful one and well worth a full read.

Of particular note is that the new level is the equivalent of that for German nuclear workers.

[Overseas]

25. K&R. Full meltdown and breach.

Four reactors in meltdown I think.

[Kablooie]

29. Problem is that they are considering Sendai as the alternate capital.

[EFerrari]

30. Oh, no.

:(

[bvar22]

33. Relax! They're just venting a little steam.

I know "Science",
and Nuclear Power Plants are PERFECTLY SAFE!!!

They are "engineered" to withstand Earthquakes, Natural Disasters, and Terrorists Attacks!
Meltdowns are impossible, because they put in Back-Up Systems!
So all you people worried about Meltdowns and other Disasters are just Henny Pennys and Luddites.

Nuclear Plants are PERFECTLY SAFE!!!
If they weren't, they would NEVER build them in Earthquake Zones!
.
.
.
Did I mention that I know "Science"?