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TEPCO accused of blocking probe into nuclear crisis

27 Comments

Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) falsified video evidence in order to prevent an on-site check of its crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, a former Fukushima plant designer and later a member of the Diet committee tasked with investigating the nuclear crisis claims.

According to Mitsuhiko Tanaka, TEPCO falsely claimed that an inspection was impossible. Pointing to video evidence supposedly shot inside the No. 1 reactor before a cover had been placed on it, TEPCO claimed the structure was now too dark and dangerous to permit inspection. However, Fuji TV reported Friday that it was later discovered the video had been taken after the cover had been installed.

Tanaka, who has a history of exposing corruption in the nuclear industry, has made written requests to the chair people of both houses of the Diet, asking that the planned inspection be carried out in the light of the revelation. Tanaka told reporters that "they were afraid of the committee uncovering inconvenient truths, so they blocked the investigation," Fuji reported.

TEPCO says it did not intentionally lie about the conditions inside the structure.

According to Japanese media, Tanaka once helped conceal a manufacturing defect in the steel vessel installed at the Fukushima Daiichi No. 4 reactor while working for a unit of Hitachi Ltd in 1974. After he blew the whistle on corruption in the nuclear industry, the government refused to investigate his claims, saying that TEPCO's denial was satisfactory.

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27 Comments
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Tepco's behaviour is criminal and needs to be dealt with as such.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Why focus simply on the cover-up? JT is doing what NHK did yesterday. The object of the investigation, ie what was being covered up is really the problem here, not the cover-up so much. Why is that part omitted in the article? It was all over the news yesterday.

TEPCO did not want the investigating committee to look at the gravity-feed back-up cooling system on the 4th floor of reactor #1. It was probably destroyed, leading to the meltdown, but not by the tsunami, because the tsunami did not reach that high. If it got out that the earthquake caused the meltdown, this would be the first break in TEPCO's and the government's position that the tsunami did all the damage and therefore all Japanese NTTs are adequately quake-proof.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

"TEPCO says it did not intentionally lie about the conditions inside the structure."

Ah, so it was one of those accidental lies then.

Harry: "Tepco's behaviour is criminal and needs to be dealt with as such."

Unfortunately so is the government's, and hence nothing will be done. Read the last line of the article (not that you need any proof, but hey): "... the government refused to investigate his claims, saying that TEPCO’s denial was satisfactory."

Nothing's changed since then.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

so long as the jpn govt stand behind tepco, their cojones will stay huge..

and they know they'll continue to get blown by the govt or else expose even more failings on both sides

4 ( +4 / -0 )

@Disillusioned

And, your day is coming TEPCO!

Let's hope so... but I'm not holding my breath...

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) falsified video evidence in order to prevent an on-site check of its crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant,

Many posters here, including myself, have said many times that Japan Inc. is rotten to the core and will stop at nothing to protect itself and that the real safety and well-being of the public is not even a consideration. This is proof positive. And now the LDP, the great collaborator in this decades-long conspiracy, is back in power, with Abe clearly intent on re-starting as many nukes as soon as possible. Sad state of affairs.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

FOr those who don't know who this guy is, read this and weep.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-23/fukushima-engineer-says-he-covered-up-flaw-at-shut-reactor.html

2 ( +2 / -0 )

After he blew the whistle on corruption in the nuclear industry, the government refused to investigate his claims, saying that TEPCO’s denial was satisfactory.

Cut from the same mold! Tarred with the same brush! Two peas in a pod! You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours! Birds of a feather flock together!

Every dog has its day! And, your day is coming TEPCO!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Just like the video with half missing and no audio.... total curruption from them and no one is in jail

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Star-Viking: "basically this expert is just making waves over nothing?"

Not really, giving that he's poining out conspiracy. It's more apt to suggest TEPCO and the government just pretend the waves washing over them do not exist.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

zizhi, you may be right, but they had some video footage of something human or robot wending its way through the wreckage towards the two back-up tanks on the 4th Fl of No.1.

Article and pic of 4th floor Fukusuiki (condenser tanks) here, but it's in Japanese. http://backnumber.dailynews.yahoo.co.jp/?m=7681103&c=domestic 国会事故調は、緊急時に原子炉を冷却する「非常用復水器」が地震で壊れた可能性があるとして現地調査を計画した (Diet Accident Survey Team planned to inspect the "emergency condenser system" which cools the reactor in emergencies since there was a possibility of them having been broken by the earthquake, but...)

0 ( +1 / -1 )

At which point Capt. Renault from Casblanca walked in and said, "I'm shocked, shocked."

0 ( +0 / -0 )

And still these stories are listed in the national news section an not under crime.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Zichi

So basically this expert is just making waves over nothing?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

zichi, thanks for the link. Yes, that's it. From 4 mins onwards in that video you can see the two orange condenser tanks which should have collected steam, cooled it and dropped it into the reactor for emergency cooling back-up. The pipes are broken. Was it destroyed by the earthquake is the question. Lack of cooling led to meltdown.

Not that they are discussing it, but I suppose we must also ask if it could have been destroyed by the hydrogen explosion, but then presumably it should have been working before the explosion and the fact that it wasn't working led to the build-up of hydrogen and the subsequent explosion, right?

Have they found the smoking gun?

TEPCO claimed it was too dark to film, but this video shows it is quite light in there, even with the outside cover on.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

zichiFeb. 09, 2013 - 08:22AM JST

@Star-viking

"So basically this expert is just making waves over nothing?"

No, I wouldn't say that and Mitsuhiko Tanaka has revealed many insider facts on the Fukushima plant like the No4 reactor was distorted during manufacture because it was cooled too quickly. When that was discovered, the drawings were altered to hide the distortion.

Thanks for the info and the video link. I just find it a bit confusing when we have a situation where the radiation level is described as too dangerous for inspection, but we have a video of personnel inspecting this dangerous area.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Muffled, but you can hear them shouting out the radiation numbers as they climb the stairs. Some of them sound very high!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What is wrong with people? I wonder what happened to the Fukushima 50. American servicemen who flew relief missions to Sendai have radiation poisoning. I wonder what affect this has on the seafood, Tuna migrate you know. How do people live downwind of this on going disaster. I can not help but think of what the people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki must have had to live with. What about the cows and the milk and the water and the ocean currents.. What happened to the Hawaiian resort in Fukushima? This corruption could be affecting tourism to Japan. What a shame..

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

if they are really good just accept their mistake and lead the nation. other voice in history not for-give them....

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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