The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology says that a government project to operate real-time radiation monitoring devices at schools and other public facilities in Fukushima Prefecture will be delayed.
According to NTV, the project, financed under the first supplementary budget for fiscal 2011, calls for the installation of 600 radiation monitoring devices at elementary schools, parks and community centers near Tokyo Electric Power Co's crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The ministry also revealed it had terminated its contract with Tokyo-based supplier Alpha Tsushin after the firm failed to meet a deadline for correcting a problem in the system, NTV reported. The launch of operations, originally scheduled for mid-October, will be delayed to around mid-February, the ministry said.
© Japan Today
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Cricky
What! So they are not monitoring radiation levels at schools in Fukushima at all!!! Next year!!! WTF This just gets worse and worse, It would appear that the Government just don't care. Those families are mad or in no position to leave, either way they pay taxes and assume the Authorities will act in their best interests obviously that's a fails hope.
Cricky
False hope
cactusJack
The kickback money probably wasn't enough.
landshark
Its a good thing they are all hooked up to a system. Otherwise some might actually give correct readings, and that would inconvenient.
And the trouble with correct readings? They might be temporary spikes and essentially meaningless on a fixed receiver probably on the roof. Or they might indicate a release of nuclear material that was supposed to be a secret. But hey, its not like there could be a significant airborne release of radioactive particles that could go unnoticed now, is it?
I would rather see teachers with geiger counters scanning the grounds once a week. Even more than that, I would like to see the area's kids moved to someplace safe.
Cricky
Whatever the problem end result is the same, no readings! Couldn't the self Defence force step in? Or another company? As far as Emergencys go this is up there, yet the response is appalling. Bodgy is not strong enough, we tax payers pay big ¥ to these people and this is the best they can do, Next year! Horrific abuse of people. The money will go somewhere but not to those who need it. Why are people still living in shelters? Why is food from the area being sold? Systemic stupidity is the only explanation. But the PM tells the world all is back to normal...does he even live here.
CrazyJoe
Won't geiger counters be more useful than these stationary radiation monitoring devices, especially in schools?
borscht
Even the fact that the schools need radiation monitors seems to me to be reason enough to move to another prefecture. Preferably one upwind and over mountains.
(On the other hand, my school did have hall monitors.)
Jan Claudius Weirauch
Japan Tourism agency just announced on there homepage that Japan is now "safe again"
hatsoff
There really isn't enough information in this article, but it seems to be saying that the original firm setting up the system has been fired because they failed to meet a deadline for fixing a problem, which delayed the original mid-October start.
But rather than have that company fix the problem and therefore start the system as soon as possible, the government instead decided to shelve the whole project until mid-February (???)
Was Alpha Tsushin really so incompetent? And if so, was the government's due diligence when appointing that company also so incompetent that they couldn't tell in advance?
End result? Fukushima residents and their children let down AGAIN!!!
smithinjapan
Wow, talk about priorities not being in order! The government, and obviously TEPCO, really don't give two squirts about their people and their future at all, do they? Sporadically and half-handedly test some crops here and there so the whining farmers can ship tainted goods, but forget about testing the school grounds because there's no government kick-back.
This is just sick.
bajhista65
WOW! DELAYED....Geeezzzzzz This should be the Japanese Government priority. First in line before any agenda in diet. BTW, who are the stocks and share holders of TEPCO. There had been so many secrecy since the disaster about this Daichi Nuke Plant. Could there be any government officials having shares and stocks with TEPCO causing this secrecy and delays? Did the government cut the contract of the suppliers Alpha Tsushin after the firm failed to meet a deadline for correcting a problem in the system, because the government wanted something to hide again important datas for monitoring radiation in schools? It's time to be real PM Noda and TEPCO. Nothing you can do except to be transparent. Talked with people in Fukushima Ken and they are all angry and confused why their government and TEPCO mislead them when in fact the truth is already evident.
gyouza
Who says they do "need" them? There are other detection programs that are ongoing that can cover the role, this one is to help put parents at ease - sad that they will now not feel at ease for a few more months.
MaboDofuIsSpicy
What they need to do is check the roof drainage areas on schools. That is where I found over 2.4 levels. They cleaned it up. Drains were in the system though, so do not know where it all went to.
Cos
With a little chance, there will be a few more failures... and when these kids graduate university the system will be ready but no longer deemed necessary.
smithinjapan
Cos: ..." and when these kids graduate university the system will be ready but no longer deemed necessary."
No, when they're dying of cancer in a decade and all from the same area they government will pull a Minamoto and say they had no idea. Then it will be proved they DID know about it but did nothing; they'll bow a little and say it is regrettable but not their fault and promise some tax-payers' money towards the problem. Once they've given money they'll say you can make no further claims.
bajhista65
@Cos and Smithinjapan, "ping-pong" (japanese way of saying RIGHT) By the time their Cancer progressed, and too late to cure, Tepco and Japanese government would say they are really sorry. What a waste of life for TEPCO and Government incompetency safeguarding their Nuke Plants.
@gyouza... we don't even know what Japan government wanted Alpha Tsushin to correct with their monitoring device. Who knows it could be something they wanted radiation measurement results to be doctored. Hahaha!