Air duct corrosion, holes found at 7 nuclear plants in Japan

I wonder whether we're just being given the lesser problems, and that the bigger issues are being once again burred under the proverbial carpet in the hope that no-one notices or if they try to find out then charging them under the new National security laws.

If the reactors are “virtually mothballed” then what are workers doing there at risk of more radioactive exposure?

Maintenance issues at virtually mothballed nuclear plants hardly risk workers' safety - unless the reactors magically get a fresh fuel load teleported into their cores.

Typical Kyodo fear-mongering.

Wc62six - Imagine the burden of fossil fuels and other sources of expensive energy. Nuclear is the way to go.

Imagine? Is that like dreaming or wishing? I don’t have to imagine that, the one nuclear disaster in Fukushima will take at least 40 years to clean up at a cost of ten times more than it cost to build every reactor in the country. I also don’t have to imagine that, TEPCO has openly admitted the meltdowns were the result of failing to upgrade equipment and falsifying safety check records. I also don’t have to imagine that, this corrosion in the pipes is because of substandard metals used to cut costs. Therefor, without imagining anything I can conclude that, nuclear power is not cheap nor is it safe in the hands of untrustworthy operators.

only in Japan did the Fukushima crisis make politicians want to return to nuclear energy.

Actually only a few countries, if at all, are affected by Fukushima with regard to continuation of Nuclear energy. Russia, for example, are eager to create more Nuclear plants despite Chernobyl (and Fukushima).

If there are easy ways to replace Nuclear energy, everybody will do. But there aren't. And, you like it not, Nuclear is quite useful for other purposes.

only in Japan did the Fukushima crisis make politicians want to return to nuclear energy. If the equivalent investment were made in renewables Japan would be rocking and never have to look back. They will have discovered that brown envelopes don't stop radiation leaks

Thanks to the shouganai attitude, sadly the status quo is working and no one cares to stop it. While these plants are not active it's only a matter of time before the next accident

“But, hey! Nuclear power is safe and cheap, right?”

Imagine the burden of fossil fuels and other sources of expensive energy. Nuclear is the way to go, but it ain’t perfect. Leave it to the politicians to pick the poison. Meanwhile, everyone charge up your smartphones and take for granted the precious energy we harness throughout our daily lives.

Have to wonder which dodgy Japanese company manufactured the steel,

and did the same supplier provide materials for the pressure vessels and containment.

“what a parcel of rouges in a nation!”

Got to love the way it’s presented.

Just a 100cm hole. That’s a one meter gap!

Corrosion or holes were found in steel or galvanized steel ducts

Is there a reason why these ducts were not made from stainless steel? They are near the coast and filled with moisture ladened air. I get the feeling this was a cost cutting measure. But, hey! Nuclear power is safe and cheap, right?

Serious corrosion was found at the No. 3 unit of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc and this may have abnormally affected ventilation of the central control room, the watchdog said.

SEVEN years AFTER the fukushima incident and STILL these kind of issues surface. TEPCO is grossly negligent and heads should roll. But no, nothing happens, noone is punished and this will continue until the next incident happens. Im seriously fed up with the boys in charge here.

Paragraph 8, "atmosphere"?

Better late than never, but this has been known and not reported publicly since December 2016! 

Should we have believed all those recent declarations like, 'Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is safe, so restart it now!" ???

It's TEPCO. Are we suppose to be surprised by this?