Foreign nuclear experts blast TEPCO over lack of transparency

By Harumi Ozawa

National Jul. 27, 2013 - 03:25PM JST ( 17 )

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17 Comments

7

hereforeverJul. 27, 2013 - 08:02AM JST

Does anyone know if there is a list of beach closures? Sure would like to know which beaches are safe.
10

yokattaJul. 27, 2013 - 08:37AM JST

Yes, failure to the highest degree in transparency in this bureacratic no-reform corporate culture country.
20

zichiJul. 27, 2013 - 08:41AM JST

TEPCO and the gov't have been in denial since 3/11.
12

warispeaceJul. 27, 2013 - 09:18AM JST

The voting public is not insisting that they be kept informed. The only way is to take to the streets with mass protests (Brazilian style) and shame the government and TEPCO. Instead, voters just keep electing the same lot that created the problem in the first place. Maybe they deserve each other.
3

FizzBitJul. 27, 2013 - 09:27AM JST

To me, the response by the NRC seems to be calculated to deflect criticism and responsibility away from Abe. Too convenient after the LDP's win.
6

DisillusionedJul. 27, 2013 - 01:00PM JST

It's quite disappointing that the international community and the foreign community within Japan are outraged to the point of disgust over all the lies and debacles coming out of Fukushima, but Naoki Average has very little to say about it. I guess the old Japanese proverb, "the nail that stands up must be hammered down" still runs very true within the society.
9

Citizen2012Jul. 27, 2013 - 01:56PM JST

“you don’t know what you’re doing”.

Summing up the whole TEPCO's story.
6

FullM3taLJul. 27, 2013 - 03:58PM JST

“It also appears that you are not keeping the people of Japan informed. These actions indicate that you don’t know what you are doing… you do not have a plan and that you are not doing all you can to protect the environment and the people.”

Not exactly news, but it's good that someone is saying what needs to be said in public. It's also astonishing to note that the foreign experts seem more concerned about the issue than the Japanese bureaucracy and TEPCO. It's government's duty to inform the people. Instead, a few foreigners have to come in to slap and shame TEPCO and let the public in on the real state of things.
3

OnniyamaJul. 27, 2013 - 04:51PM JST

Falling of deaf ears I am afraid. Nothing has been learned in this country since the meltdowns. I guarantee that future reactor restarts are pushed through without all safety requirements being met.
2

edojinJul. 27, 2013 - 06:10PM JST

If the "foreign nuclear experts" had been reading this Japan Today site over the past couple of years they would have learned much earlier that the TEPCO officials couldn't be trusted. At least we now know that they at last know, too.
7

JeffLeeJul. 27, 2013 - 06:20PM JST

If this article was posted on JT 2 years ago, most of the posts here would be pro-Tepco and pro-Japan, defending the overall response to Fukushima and accusing the foreigners of not knowing what they were talking about.

Interesting how real events can in time reveal the truth (which some of us knew from the start).
1

oberstJul. 27, 2013 - 08:39PM JST

You don't need to know, but when we know when the time has come for you to know, we will let you know.Clear enough ? No need for gaijin to explain that.
4

OnniyamaJul. 27, 2013 - 09:20PM JST

hereforever. Don`t know of any list for beach closures but I would not go in the water anywhere near Fukushima. That means Tokyo as well. I would not trust any list unless it is by a non-Japanese & non-nuclear agency. They simply do not care. The are like the mayor in the movie Jaws. Everything is fine folks, enjoy the water! All about money.
0

Alex80Jul. 28, 2013 - 08:49AM JST

Somebody is missing something important here:

Klein is part of a TEPCO-sponsored nuclear reform monitoring panel composed of two foreign experts and four Japanese including the company’s chairman.

It's not like these foreign people are not TEPCO related, so if you don't trust TEPCO, you shouldn't trust these people as well. The nuclear village is the same all around the world, this is the only truth.
1

I'm A MonkeyJul. 28, 2013 - 02:24PM JST

This is so important. Abe should be working on this. Forget the Olympics. Ask the French for help. Do it now.
0

Alex80Jul. 28, 2013 - 07:07PM JST

About Barbara Judge, you should read this:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/lady-barbara-judge-japans-smart-nuclear-weapon-8497747.html

It's not what she expected but the mood there was " fantastic".

Mrs. Judge, "fantastic"? Seriously?

People here trust the foreigners just because foreigners are so naive. You simply shouldn't trust the nuclear village.
0

mike23thurgoodJul. 29, 2013 - 01:07AM JST

It is surprising just how irresponsibly the TEPCO management have behaved since the March 2011 incident - or disaster if you prefer. - at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power station.

The effect, internationally, is to have brought nuclear power into disrepute, and totally unjustifiably so.

The foreign nuclear experts were totally right in their scathing comments. It would appear that nuclear safety culture in Japan is not of the high standard which would normally be expected for such a high tech and potentially dangerous technology.