TEPCO Reveals 'Unintentional Error' in Radioactivity Measurements
Source: Korean Broadcasting System
Japanese media say the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) reported lower than actual levels of radioactivity in waters around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant for nearly two years.
Kyodo News and NHK report TEPCO briefed Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission on Saturday about what Japan's largest electrical utility called an unintentional error.
TEPCO said the inaccurate measurements were taken from July 2011 until May this year, resulting in concentration levels of radioactive cesium being reported some becquerels lower than the actual level. It said the measurements were taken one-point-three kilometers south of the nuclear plant.
The company said it corrected the problem last June.
Read more: http://english.kbs.co.kr/news/news_view.html?id=In&No=98305
bananas
(27,509 posts)TEPCO under-reported cesium measurements
The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has under-reported the density of radioactive cesium in the seawater near the plant. An erroneous measuring method is being blamed for the discrepancy.
A Nuclear Regulation Authority team of experts revealed this at a meeting on Friday. The experts met for the first time to monitor contamination leaking into the sea from the plant.
Since May 2011, Tokyo Electric Power Company has reported that cecium-137 in seawater near an outlet on the south side of the plant was between one and 10 becquerels per liter.
After being notified of the error by the Nuclear Regulation Authority, TEPCO discovered that its previous per-liter measurements were several becquerels lower than actual figures.
<snip>
Experts at the meeting criticized what they called an elementary mistake. They also said the matter should not be left to TEPCO alone and called for the Authority's involvement.
Sep. 14, 2013
bananas
(27,509 posts)Tepco admits to reporting false radiation levels for nearly 2 years at Fukushima
Published: September 14th, 2013
By ENENews
49 comments
KBS, Sept. 14, 2013: Japanese media say the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) reported lower than actual levels of radioactivity in waters around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant for nearly two years. ... TEPCO said the inaccurate measurements were taken from July 2011 until May this year, resulting in concentration levels of radioactive cesium being reported some becquerels lower than the actual level. It said the measurements were taken one-point-three kilometers south of the nuclear plant. ...
NHK, Sept 14, 2013: TEPCO under-reported cesium measurements ... After being notified of the error by the Nuclear Regulation Authority, TEPCO discovered that its previous per-liter measurements were several becquerels lower than actual figures. TEPCO says the error was due to the wrong assessment of the impact of radiation in the surrounding area. ... Experts at the meeting criticized what they called an elementary mistake. They also said the matter should not be left to TEPCO alone and called for the Authoritys involvement.
See also: Professor: Fukushima disaster "beyond a cover-up" -- Japan gov't thinks they can get away with tricking masses about extent of problem -- Officials and Tepco cannot be trusted, they are lying to the camera
<snip>
BlueToTheBone
(3,747 posts)We didn't want to tell the truth because then we would have to accept blame. Must save face.
fascisthunter
(29,381 posts)just a corporate ooopsie, I'm sure.
...with a corporately influenced government. Double oooopsie.
drynberg
(1,648 posts)Talk about the non-cooperation chair, we have a new winner. Step right in sir, as the door slams shut. Yeah, that's what should have (after a fair trial of course) happened. Will it? We can only hope...
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,514 posts)dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Remember, Japan's PM has said very recently:
radioactive contaminants from the leakage had no impact to waters outside the bay near the plant and "will never do any damage to Tokyo."
link here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014595102#post1
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,514 posts)That would be nutz!
mahina
(17,604 posts)Fuckers.
Rebellious Republican
(5,029 posts)Now how did that little detail slip by us? Now call us silly and slap our ass.
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)Not surprised.
R. Daneel Olivaw
(12,606 posts)*Not saying you do, it is just rhetorical.
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)R. Daneel Olivaw
(12,606 posts)This is the extreme case of untrustworthy, but corporations everyday show how tainted they are with indifference and avarice.
TEPCO might not have been intentionally either of those two things before the earthquake and tsunami, but all it takes is a bunch of greedy and inept individuals in power to really show their talents for deceit in the face of adversity.
They can't control the situation so why lie about it? It's not like they can hide the problems so why try at this level?
Union Carbide?
BP?
Exxon?
NSA?
McDonalds?
They're all killers in one way or another, and we give some of them a slap on the wrist.
xfundy
(5,105 posts)are as dumbed-down as Americans, but I could be wrong.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)Like here, their media are government-corporate Wurlitzers spewing disinformation and omitting what's truly important, like what's happening at Fukushima.
At the beginning of the crisis, TEPCO and Tokyo said plutonium was nothing to worry about.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x760038
longship
(40,416 posts)It's a corporate mandate. Somebody ought to rip their faces off and show them what losing face really means.
How many will lose their faces to cancer for their saved faces?
Disgusting.
caraher
(6,278 posts)The only reliable thing in this whole mess is that we can rely on TEPCO to (at best) act incompetently.
madokie
(51,076 posts)If the people knew just how dangerous these nuclear power plants were we'd never have let the first one get built. And that my friends is a fact
There should be heads rolling from this catastrophe all the way from the designers, to the manufacturers, to the construction companies who built them and to the owners of the power plants.
BelgianMadCow
(5,379 posts)like, not mentioning the site has been leaking hundreds of tons of contaminated water for two years. Oops.
Theyletmeeatcake2
(348 posts)The mistakes always make a situation look not so bad'..Can't remember catastrophes being reported worse than they are .bad news from vested interests always seems to filter out slowly. Bit like radioactive water I guess...
The Stranger
(11,297 posts)How can this be happening?