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© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013.Gov't abandons hands-off approach to Fukushima clean-up
By Linda Sieg and Mari Saito TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
19 Comments
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dbsaiya
We really don't need TEPCO to be reborn. Take a look at this article from Japan Times; the fabrication of the tanks were slipshod from day one. No oversight, great going government, you pump in all this money with no oversight. And some people are concerned about the impact this may have on the 2020 games? No priorities, this in itself makes Japan look ridiculous, and should serve as glaring evidence that Tokyo/Japan should not host the games. Attention to the real emergency please.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/09/02/national/leaks-feared-when-fukushima-no-1-water-tanks-constructed/#.UiUOgdJmiSo
Rick Kisa
All of us know that japan gvt and TEPCO have been too close in same bed since the 1970s, otherwise either TEPCO would not by now be in business, or some TEPCO officiacls would have been dismissed from their jobs, or both...
globalwatcher
US media has been beating drums non-stop for this issue recently.
Hopefully, J. government has finally realized something has to be done shortly.
DamianOmen70
Japanese government or TEPCO. What's the difference? They are both way over their heads on this. There should be an internationally runned team of the best nuclear scientists and technicians allowed into the country to handle the problem. It is now a world crisis,not just Japan.
NZ2011
From day one they should have done this.. DAY 1. Also however we must have clear and open international oversight, not a government with even more power to hide what it doesn't like.
Maria
That they were hands-off for over 2 years is a shocking disgrace. The govt. is as much to blame for the situation we are in now as TEPCO.
spudman
As long as Tokyo gets the Olympics who cares about Fukushima? Certainly not the majority of Japanese people if you believe the spin put out by the JOC. Meanwhile lets contaminate the world's ocean some more.
Disillusioned
Once again there are two important factors missing from the government statement. When are you gonna do it? "Soon?" And, what is the government gonna do? One would think that, in a so-called 'developed' country they would have had a team of engineers, nuclear physicists, economists and project managers sit down and plan out their strategy to the finest detail and, they would have done it over two years ago. The scary thing is, they still have not done it! Instead, TEPCO has been bungling along with half-ass fixes and concealing information about how much of a debacle they are making of it. Unfortunately, I have very little confidence in the J-Gov's intervention. To me, it just means more lies and concealment of information. Meanwhile, the world waits and watches.
CrazyJoe
There is absolutely no signs of decent governance in this company. The high concentration of contaminated water, the leakage problem, etc. TEPCO trying to cover the poky is obvious. It is necessary to minimize the public burden and proceed with liquidation as soon as possible.
Scrote
Sell off Tepco's thermal power plants to independent operators and let them compete for customers in Tepco's service area. The government can take over Kashiwazaki and maybe get it running again in the future. What's left of Tepco can deal with Fukushima only. They can sell their plush Tokyo offices and any other real estate they own. The managers can move to lodgings near the reactors.
Of course, this won't allow for any donations to the LDP so it won't happen.
gaijinfo
This will go on for years. Hundreds, thousands, perhaps even millions will die.
All the while, the idiotic government will be saying useless and meaningless things like:
Regrettable
Doing our best
Redouble our efforts
hands on approach
The TRUE strategy of the government, and TEPCO is to just hope this thing play out naturally, (e.g. just leave it and let it take care of itself) while they hope against hope that people will forget about it after a while.
They truly have NO CLUE how to fix this, and they know it. They REALLY think if they ignore it long enough, it will just kind of go away.
kuuku
lots of smart ideas floating around that the govn't can make use of in trying to tackle this problem perhaps from the beginning, whether by forming a pool of nuclear scientists and project managers both from home and perhaps abroad to work independently or cooperatively with TEPCO, etc. but perhaps they are not really listening to society, or they just want the burden to be on themselves alone, as if they kno how to tackle this prob.
Kabukilover
The primary goal of the Abe government is to save Tepco and then make sure that foreigners are largely kept out fixing this disaster. Chapter one of how Japan polluted the Pacific Ocean with its radioactive waste.
BertieWooster
Let's see, the government is going in.
So, give it a few weeks to decide the names and the titles of the various committees to handle it.
A couple of months to get the paperwork in order.
Another month or so for each committee to appoint its own chairperson and complete its internal organization.
A few months to conduct "research."
Several months to decide how to present the data found.
Several more months - possibly longer - to decide what to do about it.
By this time, there will be no need for any further action, as the reactor will have blown up and the northern half of Honshu will be a radioactive desert.
Ms. Alexander
And how much difference does GOJ think they can do? They sat on their butt for over 2 years and let this disaster get out of control.
And here we are, victims of Japan's still-ongoing seclusion period. This is what's wrong with Japan. Some people call it pride. I call it stupidity. Japan's own leaders don't know how to ask for help or refuse to ask for help. It starts from the top.
Magnet
So angry that it took this long and this many cock-ups by TEPCO for the government to step in. As to whether this is just a political move to silence the people remains to be seen. The nuclear lobby has a vast majority of Japanese politicians in their pockets after all.. (More) Scary times ahead for Japan.
Mark House
All of Fukushima radiation can be neutralized according to Dr. Patrick Flanagan.
Skeeter27
The governments action on this is far too late. They should've been actively involved with this problem from day one Not sitting on the sidelines Twiddling their thumbs.....
BertieWooster
Does this mean they are going to take up a HANDS-ON approach to the Fukushima clean-up?
In other words, Mr Abe and his comrades in the GOJ are going to put on radiation suits and actually go to Fukushima with mops and vacuum cleaners, or whatever it is you use to clean up radiation and actually DO it?