Niigata governor says TEPCO can't be trusted to restart another nuclear plant

Quote: "if all seven of the Niigata reactors were operational, TEPCO says it would save $1 billion in monthly fuel costs."

Highly optimistic.

Some of those Kashiwazaki Kariwa reactors may be able to be restarted with or without the extra safety systems that Izumida has been calling for. But all seven?!?!? Not in the near future anyway.

Not since that earthquake in July 2007 messed the place up have they had them all up and running again. No.7 took years to restart. (That earthquake alone far exceeded the original design spec for the plant.)

This guy Izumida has guts. I just hope he has his back watched; someone may be tempted to try and take him out.

"There are three things required of a company that runs nuclear power plants: don’t lie, keep your promises and fulfill your social responsibility."Izumida said. Great concept.

Our problem is national and transnational corporations act with impunity. Leveraging wealth to write local and international laws to suit their primary premise of profit.

Limiting liability of corporate executive, shareholders, stakeholders and financiers corporate social responsibility CSR.

If ever there was a catalyst for change it is in Japan.

There needs to be a personal accountability CSR. Knocking these entities from the apex of global economies with eternal life and rights in law dominating life on earth. Making those within personally responsible.

Should be more like Germany

And import nuclear power from a neighbouring country? Which are you suggesting? China, South Korea or North Korea.

And currently Germany has 6 of Europe's 10 biggest polluting plants

Yes, Germany should be the country we all follow for a safer greener future.

Wow! This guy really spelled it out for them

No, he didn't:

Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) must give a fuller account of the Fukushima disaster and address its “institutionalised lying” before it can expect to restart another nuclear station

He didn't define what would be considered a "fuller account". No matter what they do, he can say "it wasn't enough" because of his intentional vagueness.

Izumida, 51, declined to provide a timetable for completing that review - a process that could force the utility to scrap or abandon one of the key assumptions behind its turnaround plan.

Declining to provide a timetable for his own investigation can never be considered "spelling it out for them". He can string them along until he dies of old age by simply saying his investigation hasn't been completed yet.

“If Tokyo Electric doesn’t cooperate closely with the prefecture nothing will be solved,” he said.

“Unless we start we won’t know,” he added when asked how long his review could take. “If they cooperate with us, we will be able to proceed smoothly. If not, we won’t.”

Again, what's this guy's definition of "cooperate"? If he had truly "spelled it out for them", he would have detailed what this "cooperation" would entail. Instead, he's left it open to whatever he feels like calling "cooperation" depending on how bad his wife beat him that morning.

The governor admonished TEPCO before then backtracked afterwards so we'll see if he gets what he wants and then says nice things again.

The litany of issues at the feet of TEPCO remains a constant failure and any change helps but wholesale change is perhaps expecting too much given the politics

One can always hope for good things but real actual actions must occur

When the conversation turns to politicians, Japanese or otherwise, I'm as cynical as they come. BUT.... I have to at least give this guy the benefit of the doubt. If he were in politics to make money, wouldn't he have joined the LDP? But he didn't - he's independent. There is at least a chance that he's doing what the citizens elected him for.

The heads of TEPCO have no honor or shame, they will continue to lie as long as the powers that be find it convenient. In the meantime I expect that Abe's success as PM will be based more on the economy and China diplomacy, not on Fukushima Dai-Iichi. Right now most people don't feel the effects of the disaster. They might in years to come but by then Abe will be retired.

Here's what we know: TEPCO have lied again and again and gotten away with it. 2) The government, owning 51% of TEPCO will not allow it to fail. 3) All restarts will happen because the government needs it and TEPCO wants to get back in the black. In other words, a disaster for decades and for tens of thousands caused by a company who puts profits before safety, the people they should compensate still left in the dust while they try to make money, and you know... I can't even keep going it's so disgusting. I think TEPCO heads should be imprisoned, China-style.

When are they going to figure out what to do with the nuclear waste that these nuclear power plants generate that stay deadly toxic for thousands of years?

Hirohiko Izumida is just trying to win more votes, once a few larger paper bags are handed over to him under the table, his views of Tepco will suddenly change and he`ll be praising them. seriously the Jgov and big business in Japan is so rotten at the core that you would dare scratch the surface for fear of an implosion. unfortunately I cant see any way for Japan to rid itself of this corporate/bureaucratic gangrene unless there is a huge crisis to change peoples thinking. Im lucky in that I can pack up and leave anytime I chose, for most Japanese this is not an option.

Personally, I am standing by the side of Mr. Hirohiko Izumida, but in the reality, I think his resistances , soon , could be proven futile given he is facing the formidable opponents - Mr. Abe and the big financial institutions.

You know, medals should be awarded to Mr. Abe, in Japan and aboard, for his relentless and fearless efforts to be an outspoken , dedicated and "official" spokesperson for Tepco on behalf of its remarkable two-and-half-years records of safety and competence.

You may ask why Mr. Abe deserves the rare honor ? Well, didn't he, in a straight face, assure International Olympic Committee delegates that Fukushima crisis is "under control" and win?; didn't he miraculously appeared in a fishing port which is not too far from Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, wearing a big smile on his face and eating local seafood happily? And didn't he have the nerve to craft a sales pitch to Turkey by glorifying the failure of Fukushimama nuclear fallout, knowingly Dai-ichi nuclear plant is still in the middle of an ongoing crisis with new leaks and spiking contamination on constant basis?

Have I convinced you guys yet?

You think?

Ok, so, he has spoken out and stated the truth that the whole of Japan (and half the globe) have known about for two years, but what can or will he do about it? His statements will fall on deaf ears and 'favors' will be exchanged to get around his objections. It is also quite likely he will be removed from office if he continues his objection. He will cop a couple threats and promises and do a complete flop-flop in the coming weeks to keep his job. Pray I am wrong, but I doubt it.

Izumida for PM!!

TEPCO is our only hope to solve the problem!!

Izumisan appears to be just another pity bureaucrat who suddently find himself in a position where he can blackmail a large corporation for his own good. Sad.

At last someone who doesn't bow to the "general way of thinking and/or acting" ! It would seem he is not intimidated by anyone and we can only hope he can really impose his way of thinking and getting the job done - by real professionals.

Izumida-san. A living Japanese rock star and God who speaks the truth... Finally someone does.

even the pro-nuclear in me agrees.

I am all for starting some of the reactors in the mean time, while Japan transitions into a greener solution. Just as long none of them are TEPCO run.

Need more voices like this guy in public office who are not prepared to be muffled or go along with the cronies game of deception and BS. Nice one keep it up Izumida-san.

Tepco are trying to earn a profit this year, they only care about their shareholders and not the greater good or people of Japan.

Before Japan has an increase in nuclear reactors let's have the technology to prevent earthquakes.......

Wow! This guy really spelled it out for them. Let's hope his electorate and council agree with him.

Here's a man who didn't get a cut of TEPCO's bonuses.

“if they keep skimping on costs and manipulating information, they can never be trusted,”

So, you want to change the whole cultural structure of business and politics in Japan? Good luck with that mate!

“There are three things required of a company that runs nuclear power plants: don’t lie, keep your promises and fulfill your social responsibility,” Izumida said.

impossible to meet these three requirements, Japan Inc. will feel suffocated.