Update # 28 – July 8, 2011
Let's start with a discussion of the scandal regarding the re-opening of the Genkai Nuke plant, run by Kyushu Electric Power Company in Saga Prefecture.
Apparently, Kyushu Electric Power urged their employees and their four affiliates' employees to pose as public citizens and send emails from their home computers in support of the plant re-opening following a public meeting sponsored by the central government and held 3 weeks ago today. This is an all to familiar tactic by industry in public consultations in many countries including our own. So I didn't report it yesterday. (Tip of the hat to Delores Broten and Kevin Logan for encouraging me to investigate this scandal.)
Remember, no nuclear power plants in Japan have re-opened since the Fukushima disaster. This was to be the first.
Here is a good, pre-history of the Genaki re-opening saga which began in early June with an announcement by the prefecture's governor that he supported the re-opening of the plant. This article includes the interesting information that the MOX fuel in Japan's reactors comes from France and also this revelation:
"In December 2010, 1 year after they started using MOX fuel in the reactor for commercial power generation, an elevated level of radioactive iodine was detected in the RPV cooling water (4 times the limit). They discovered that there were minute pinholes in one fuel rod (uranium) through which radioactive iodine was leaking…"
Last week NHK covered the announcement of the Saga Prefecture governor's support of the re-opening of the plant following the public meeting conducted by the government agency METI (Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Trade) on June 26th to "assure the public" that new safety measures were in place. The meeting was webcast and public comments were solicited.
This article in Mainchi News, dated last Thursday, June 30th, discusses the governor's, the government's and the public's position on the reopening:
"The safety issues have been cleared," said Gov. Furukawa during a visit by [Economy, Trade and Industry Minister] Kaieda to the prefecture town of Genkai on June 29, indicating his intention to see the No. 2 and No. 3 reactors at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Genkai Nuclear Power Plant restarted. The two reactors have been suspended due to regular inspections.
Kaieda's first visit to a municipality hosting a nuclear plant to seek approval for resuming operations came as Gov. Furukawa has shown the most tolerant attitude toward restarting atomic power plants among municipalities that host such facilities[…]
The central government is seeking to resume operations of nuclear reactors ahead of the peak power demand in summer. Many municipalities that are home to suspended nuclear reactors are apparently reluctant to become the first local government to approve the resumption of nuclear plant operations amid the harsh public sentiment in the wake of the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant. Thus the central government is expecting that restarting the Genkai plant could bring about a pump-priming effect on other host municipalities, sparking the resumption of nuclear plant operations one after another […]
In a bid to appease local opposition, the central government [ie, METI] broadcast programs to stress the "safety" of nuclear plants through a local cable television station and on the Internet on June 26. However, viewers fiercely criticized the programs, saying they were "too short" and "invited only a limited variety of guests."
Enter the scandal.
On Wednesday the Japanese press and bloggers began reporting on the scandal.
Kyushu Electric Power Busted for Using Shills to Promote Pro Nuke Views at Genkai Hearing
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
"Things may be slowly changing, even in Japan.
The Japanese national government and Kyushu Electric Power Company, both of whom are eager to restart the Reactors 2 and 3 (3 is MOX-fuel) at the aging nuclear power plant Genkai in Saga Prefecture, held a hearing back in June to discuss the matter with the 7 "concerned residents" handpicked by the national government (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry).
The hearing was broadcast via cable TV and on the Internet. Even before the hearing (June 26), Japanese tweets were abuzz with allegations that Kyushu Electric employees were told to participate via emails and messages as anonymous, concerned private citizens and speak in favor of nuclear power and restarting Genkai.
It took about 2 weeks for the MSM to catch up with the alternative media, but now the news broke even on Yomiuri Shinbun, a traditionally pro-nuke news outlet."
[…] [Translated] From Yomiuri Shinbun (3:27AM 7/7/2011) [http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20110706-OYT1T00926.htm?from=main2]
"….Yomiuri even has a photo of the said email instruction. And it says, in part:
[…] They should access the website for the live net broadcasting, and as the hearing progresses, take the stance of a private citizen who approves of re-starting the [Genkai] reactors, and send in the sincere opinions and questions that will elicit the sympathy from the residents in Saga Prefecture. […]"
This story was picked up by the New York Times yesterday:
President of Japan Nuclear Operator May Resign Over E-Mails
July 7, 2011:
"The president of a nuclear plant operator said on Thursday that he may resign as a result of a scandal over faked e-mails that has added a bizarre new twist to a decision whether to allow Japan's idled reactors to restart in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. […]"
Although this op-ed in the Wall Street Journal July 8 does not think we will see resignations over this scandal.
Nevertheless, as I reported yesterday, there was a big to do around the government suddenly announcing the "stress tests" on all nuclear reactors prior to re-opening. Remember, Hideo Kishimoto, mayor of the town of Genkai, Saga Prefecture was a main player in this with statements to the press.
Connecting the dots in all the press stories, it seems the central government was covering its butt around the METI public consultation meeting scandal with the stress test announcement. This supposition seems further confirmed by the following story in Japan Press today with the startling picture of Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano bowing to Saga Gov. Yasushi Furukawa.
Here's the other news from NHK July 8:
Reactor restart at Ikata nuclear plant postponed
"The operator of the Ikata nuclear power plant in western Japan says it will postpone restarting one of the plant's reactors because of opposition from local residents.
Shikoku Electric Power Company said on Friday that it decided not to resume operations at the No.3 reactor on Sunday as originally scheduled….
The company said it did all it could to ease the concerns of local residents in light of the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, including conducting detailed safety inspections of the reactor.
But it was still unable to gain the necessary support….Friday, July 08, 2011 14:05 +0900 (JST)
Four cities request bigger nuclear safety zone
"Four municipalities around a nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture have asked the central government to expand the plant's official emergency zone, so their communities can be included in the event of a nuclear accident….
The mayors asked that the emergency planning zone around the Hamaoka nuclear power station be expanded from the current 10-kilometer radius to 30 kilometers…."
Friday, July 08, 2011 20:59 +0900 (JST)
Nuke plant equipment fails quake-resistance check
"The Japanese government has found that electrical equipment at a nuclear power plant in eastern Japan does not meet earthquake-resistance standards.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency inspected nuclear power plants nationwide after the March 11th earthquake damaged equipment at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The plant was unable to cool its reactors after losing power.
The agency found that the level of quake-resistance of the electrical equipment at Tokai Daini nuclear power plant in Ibaraki Prefecture was below the standard set by power companies…."
Friday, July 08, 2011 03:25 +0900 (JST)
TEPCO to boost radiation monitoring at plant
"The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will boost its monitoring of airborne radioactive substances around reactor buildings.
At the plant, it is believed that dust containing radioactive substances and contaminated steam leaking from reactors continue to be released from reactor buildings into open air.
Tokyo Electric Power Company has been measuring the concentration of radioactive substances in the air at the plant regularly since mid-March.
TEPCO decided to step up its monitoring and take measurements at additional locations near the No.1 to No.4 reactor buildings.
The plant operator will also use remote-controlled robots to measure the level of radioactivity inside reactor buildings."
Friday, July 08, 2011 03:25 +0900 (JST)
TEPCO to inject nitrogen into No. 3 reactor
"The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is preparing to connect pipes to the plant's No. 3 reactor to inject nitrogen to prevent a hydrogen explosion.
Tokyo Electric Power Company workers spent 10 minutes in the reactor building on Friday to determine whether pipes can be connected to the reactor's containment vessel.
The utility says the workers confirmed that the reactor's connections are intact, and that work to lay the pipes can start on Saturday….
It remains uncertain whether the injection can be carried out by July 17th as scheduled."
Friday, July 08, 2011 19:48 +0900 (JST)
Contamination stories at NHK.
While not strictly a contamination story, I can only ask, would you eat these oysters considering the proximately to Fukushima, especially considering the rest of the stories in this section.
Oyster farmers receive equipment from France
"Oyster growers hit by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan have received oyster farming equipment from their French colleagues.
The more than 5 tons of buoys and ropes 0arrived in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, on Friday. [Kesennuma City City is 215 km (134 miles) north of Fukushima City-Nelle]
The equipment was sent to repay Miyagi farmers for sending larvae to French oyster growers when their farms were hit by an epidemic about 40 years ago. The support helped France overcome the crisis and rebuild the industry…." Friday, July 08, 2011 15:59 +0900 (JST)
Radioactive cesium detected from Tochigi tea
"Radioactive cesium exceeding the government limit was detected in processed tea made in Tochigi City, about 160 kilometers from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The Tochigi Prefectural Government says 1,810 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium was detected in tea processed from leaves harvested in the city in early July.
The level is more than 3 times the provisional government limit.
On Thursday, the prefecture requested that tea farmers in the city voluntarily stop shipments of their products.
Radioactive cesium has also been detected in other areas in the prefecture.
After the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, tea leaves and processed teas contaminated by radioactive substances have been found over wide areas near Tokyo. These include the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa and the country's largest tea production center, Shizuoka."
Friday, July 08, 2011 08:43 +0900 (JST)
Radiation detected in beef from Fukushima
"Beef from Fukushima Prefecture has been found to contain levels of radiation that exceed Japan's safety standards.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced on Friday that it had detected 2,300 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium in beef from a cow raised in a Minami Souma. The national limit is 500 becquerels per kilogram.
The Tokyo Government says the beef was not made available to consumers…."
Saturday, July 09, 2011 06:14 +0900 (JST)
Survey: radioactive materials found in plankton
"A scientific survey has found radioactive substances in plankton collected from the seafloor off Fukushima Prefecture.
A group of researchers from the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology ended its 8-day survey on Friday. The goal was to study the spread of radioactive materials into the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The group collected samples from the seabed along a 120-kilometer stretch off the coast of Fukushima.
Radioactive cesium was found in animal plankton collected 35 kilometers off Iwaki City. The level was measured at 6 becquerels per kilogram.
The researchers say this level does not exceed the national safety standard. They added that the level would still be under the limit even if the cesium were to enter the bodies of larger fish that eat the contaminated plankton. [Hmmm, wouldn't that depend on how much they ate?-Nelle]
Professor Takashi Ishimaru, a member of the research group, says he and his colleagues will continue the survey to check the effects of radioactivity on the local ecosystem."
Saturday, July 09, 2011 06:14 +0900 (JST)
And in the "Nothing Ever Really Changes" department, this video came through my email from Brasscheck TV this morning.
More than 50 years ago, a nuclear accident occurred in Simi Valley in southern California in a research facility run by the federal government's Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). It was completely downplayed by the agency, which lied in press releases regarding the amount of radioactive contamination for both workers and released into the atmosphere to contaminate local populations.
I actually remember incident from when I was in high school.
My Dad was a consultant for the AEC on groundwater contamination from underground nuke testing in Nevada. So he was sorta on the "inside" and heard the real news. He was exposed to radioactivity in the underground sites and subsequently died of a brain aneurism (blood clot) at the age of 59 in the 1970's. I always wondered about the connection with his AEC work. There is a break in the audio file on the video when the contamination of workers is being discussed. A comment on the youtube site says the cut included "A quick list of health issues…Blood clot , Pineal tumor, vision loss, twitches, brain cysts, kidney tumor, bones literally hurt, pre-diabetic, high blood pressure, migraines etc."
The biggest nuclear disaster in American history
"Simi Valley California, about 45 minutes from Los Angeles by car, was the site of the worst nuclear disaster in U.S. history in 1959, and the amounts of radiation leaked to the environment and atomosphere were more than 240 times that of the accident at 3-Mile Island."
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/4295.html
or here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAHmaEs5cYU&feature=player_embedded