The truth about the Fukushima 'nuclear samurai'

[suffragette]

The truth about the Fukushima 'nuclear samurai'
Japan's 'nuclear samurai' are risking their lives to avert catastrophe, but many are manual labourers unequal to the task

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/21/nuclear-samurai-fukushima-japan-reactor?CMP=twt_gu
Suzanne Goldenberg in Yonezawa
guardian.co.uk, Monday 21 March 2011 18.23 GMT


To a world that doesn't know him, Shingo Kanno is one of the "nuclear samurai" – a selfless hero trying to save his country from a holocaust; to his family, Kanno is a new father whose life is in peril just because he wanted to earn some money on the side doing menial labour at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

A tobacco farmer, Kanno had no business being anywhere near a nuclear reactor – let alone in a situation as serious as the one that has unfolded after the 11 March earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

His great-uncle, Masao Kanno, said: "People are calling them nuclear samurai because people are sacrificing their lives to try to fix a leak. But people like Shingo are amateurs: they can't really help. It shouldn't be people like Shingo."

Masao Kanno is one of more than 500 people camped out on the hardwood floors of a sports centre in Yonezawa. The homes of most of them lie within 19 miles of the Fukushima plant. They worked at the plant, have family members who did, or passed it daily on the way to work or school.





I'm not posting this to minimize - in any way - the sacrifice of those who are risking their lives trying to avert catastrophe at Fukushima. But, I had no clue that many of the people doing this are not nuclear technicians and I find the info in this article surprising.

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. You know those 3 TEPCO officers that have been on tv admitting they made mistakes?

And one of them was crying from shame?
THAT is who should be working at the plants right now.

[suffragette]

6. They've made the choices

but others face the consequences.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. I'm not surprised, really.

As you say, this takes NOTHING away from the "samurai".

TEPCO, in my eyes, is further diminished, as if that were possible.



edit to add: K&R

[suffragette]

9. Agree with you, Stinky

[Bonobo]

3. Those workers are being celebrated as heroes because of what they are doing.

NOT because of their work resume.

[suffragette]

5. I agree with you on this, Bonobo

And I am not, and will not, disparage them. They are being courageous and doing what they are doing for their families, country and the rest of the world, given the enormity of this situation.

But I had the impression that the workers during this emergency were nuclear engineers, who are fully aware of the risk they are facing and of whether mitigating and safety measures provided will be effective or not. They are making a fully informed choice.

From this, I'm not sure that's the case with all the workers there now.

[Bonobo]

7. I guarantee you that EVERY Japanese person knows about the dangers of radiation.

Remember they were the only country in the word to have nuclear bombs dropped on them. Twice.

It is taught. Alot.

[suffragette]

8. Point taken

and a very valid one at that.

But I also look at the points the family was making to him, the family that knows him very well, and I can't discount those.

[Hannah Bell]

17. japan is a third world country. they're using tobacco farmers to fight a nuclear disaster.

it's the new spin.

[Statistical]

10. Why would you need a nuclear engineer to run a emergency seawater pump, point a firehose....

or fly a helicopter?

There are nuclear reactor operators and engineers but their role is more in manning the control rooms (heavy radiation exposure there BTW), doing data analysis to determine what is going on inside the reactor with incomplete and sometimes conflicting information, and provide technical expertise identifying salvageable equipment.

Nuclear operators (as in the people who run control rooms) are well trained and well paid. Like many other industries there are many other jobs that are less technical in nature. Pilots are extensively trained, the guys who restock the plane's refreshments not so much.

[jtuck004]

16. And this plan has worked so well?

I respect what you mean. But if they are sending untrained people in against a potentially ferocious monster like this, is it any wonder
that we get a report that smoke is billowing and everyone is being evacuated? Again. And radiation is spread around the landscape like fertilizer?

A report on NHK said water was being poured into the reactor but they weren't sure it was getting into the spent fuel pool.

Well, since it might melt down, create hydrogen for explosions, create steam for expansion, maybe it is important to put someone on the hose who knows where it is pointing?

The prime minister apologized if his remarks offended the firefighters? Hey, PM, if this thing turns into the largest dirty bomb we
have seen in a while, you are going to offend a lot more people. Are you afraid if they don't quit spewing radiation you might be lookin'
at one of these firefighter jobs yourself? Or maybe the firefighters think everyone has their head up their ass, but they are too polite to say
"Unless I hear that we are part of a plan that makes sense, not just dying so TEPCO can make a little coin, I ain't takin' that 'copter over any damn reactor".

10 days out and still listening to happy talk, and no real numbers coming from the most dangerous places. I know they went through two big natural disasters, but to hear they are bringing in concrete trucks for to put more water in the top makes me think they are continuing to underestimate what has to be done. Or maybe they think they can survive while getting fresh water online, just irradiate a few prefectures a little bit.

[kristopher]

19. Have you seen the condition of the site? One of their major problems is debris.

They had to drag that the 300lb hose more than 400meters because they can't get vehicles in.

During the placement one of the senior captains from the Tokyo Fire Dept stood between the workers and the reactor to serve duty as the radiation monitor so others could work removing rubble and positioning the hose.

These guys are giving 100% at all levels.

[flamingdem]

21. Effort is commendable but intelligence and expertise are seemingly lacking nt

[jtuck004]

23. You are correct, people are giving a lot, some of them more

than we have a right to ask, perhaps. And I have mentioned the debris.

But we have a plant that is spreading radiation from lethal levels up close to lower levels across the country and into the ocean. It has been spewing radioactive steam, which pollutes nearby, and radioactive smoke, which is how it is carried for hundreds and perhaps thousands of miles.

That has to stop, and letting it continue for a week, or two, or a month, because it is hard, is simply not a good excuse. There is no reason not to bring in naval resources (really, really good at moving lots and lots of water) and make the goal here protecting the public instead of replacing some parts and getting back into production (as they mentioned on more than one broadcast).

[DeSwiss]

4. K&R n/t

[flamingdem]

11. ARD: Tepco has history of hiring "throwaway workers", migrants and homeless

According to ARD correspondent Robert Hetkämpfer the operating company of Fukushima has been sending in homeless and minors sends as "throwaway workers " in the nuclear power plant

ARD correspondent Robert Hetkämper brought up serious allegations against the operating company of the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima in Japan: Allegedly Tepco has been sending homeless people and migrant workers in the nuclear power plant in Fukushima for years.

"They are often homeless. There are many foreign workers, there are even minors there, to be there for years and then fired again if they have worked for a while and they have been exposed to a fair amount of radiation. Disposable workers they have been called here in Japan. "said Hetkämper.


http://www.welt.de/vermischtes/welt...rierte-AKW.html

[malaise]

20. Who works in the US mines?

I never saw anyone but the working class

[flamingdem]

12. Forced Heroes: Minister Kaieda sorry for reportedly 'forcing' water-spraying mission

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/80104.html

Industry minister Banri Kaieda apologized Tuesday over reports that he threatened to ''punish'' fire fighters if they did not carry out an operation to spray water toward a quake-hit nuclear reactor building in Fukushima Prefecture.

He refrained from admitting whether he actually made such remarks, but told a press conference, ''If my remarks offended fire fighters...I would like to apologize on that point.''

The move came after Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara on Monday lodged a protest with Prime Minister Naoto Kan over the ''forcing'' of Tokyo Fire Department members dispatched to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to engage in an hours-long water-spraying mission and referring to ''punishment'' if they refused the task.

According to Ishihara, Kan apologized over the matter. Ishihara said that he did not know who actually said so, but sources close to the metropolitan government said Kaieda made the remarks.

[suffragette]

13. That's powerful

I keep thinking back to a video I saw on CBC last week, not about those who stayed but those who left.


I finally found it, but it took me awhile and in the process I stumbled on the reporter's twitter where he had an additional comment from a young man who was in the video and worked at Fukushima.


Here's a link to the video. Note, an ad plays first:
http://www.charter.net/video/play/475151?playlist=1&pos=12
Japan visitors urged by their countries to leave
CBC's Chris Brown talks to evacuees in the coastal city of Niigata, where people have fled to escape the radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant


Here's the comment from his twitter:

http://twitter.com/CBCChrisBrown

Just met a reactor worker who's among the evacuees in niigata, #japan. He thinks his employer botched this from the start.
1:01 AM Mar 17th

[flamingdem]

14. Oh no! An employee should know

thus the blackout on their communications coming out of the plant :(

[suffragette]

15. He was a young plumber there

If you haven't yet, do watch the video.
I haven't seen that many with people who lived near the plant and it's powerful.

[SoCalDem]

18. What good is the IAEA, if they are not the FIRST ones to show up in a situation like this?

They should be the ones calling the shots..

When there is a dire emergency, TEPCO or any other power company involved should NOT be the one also in charge of "fixing it".. The BP oil-tastrophy should have taught us all that..:eyes:

[jtuck004]

24. I watched a broadcast in which the IAEA was arriving, suggesting

that they play more of a role, and that more informtation would calm pubic fears. It sounds like Japan, or at least TEPCO, was really resisting the IAEA playing more of a role.

We are getting pretty regular readings on the edge of the exclusion zone, but near the plant there seems to be a real blackout.

I think your assertion about who ought to be in charge is right on. And they should have resources they can direct, including the military of several countries. If you put the U.S. Navy on this I suspect the danger threshold would have dropped dramatically by now, instead of worrying about "face" and a bunch of company officials. Would have pissed people off and probably permanently damaged relations with Japan for the next thousand years, but they would have already torn the sides open on the building and been flooding these things with water to reduce radiation so people could work.

[jpak]

22. All communication between Fukushima workers and their family members have been cut off

to prevent them from discussing real situation at the plant.

yup