Japanese authorities ignored US warnings over Fukushima water leaks

[bananas]

Source: Telegraph

Operators of Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear plant dismissed plans two years ago to build a barrier to stop radioactive water leakages as too expensive.

The recommendation for a barrier, which the government is now planning to install, was made by US experts just three months after the plant was severely damaged in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

However, at the time, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), operators of the plant, successfully lobbied against the proposal due to high costs and fragile investor confidence, according to a memo uncovered by a Japanese newspaper.

News of Tepco’s rejection of the proposed barrier comes only weeks after Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, unveiled plans to build a frozen wall to limit such leaks, in the run up to the Olympic 2020 bid announcement.

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Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/10319430/Japanese-authorities-ignored-US-warnings-over-Fukushima-water-leaks.html

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Government officials and nuclear experts inspecting a construction site at Fukushima in August

[DeSwiss]

1. ''...Tepco lobbied against the proposal due to high costs and fragile investor confidence...''

- It's Thursday, time for another crime against humanity......

K&R

[RobertEarl]

3. Da Future

Anyway... this whole Fukushima problem started because the nuclear engineers forgot that the only thing they really had to do was keep water flowing over the reactors to keep them cool.

Well, they forgot that prime directive, didn't they?

I get the feeling it would have cost too much ? And now back to.... da future.

[DeSwiss]

4. Oh, they remembered it okay.

It's just that seawater was all they had. And that made things go BOOM.

- And here we are......

[center][/center]

[Scairp]

5. They didn't forget I promise

They were unable to keep the water on the rods because you must have power to do so and after the earthquake and tsunami the power went out. They had gennys but they only lasted about 8 hrs, maybe it was 12. I don't recall, but now they have contaminated water leaking out of storage tanks that are lined up all over the place around the reactor buildings themselves. My guess is they haven't a clue how many of those plastic tanks are leaking but it's going to get much worse before it gets better. And we have a trip planned to go to Hawaii next year. I wonder if we'll come back glowing in the dark.

[RobertEarl]

7. Forgot, or failed?

I was being magnanimous in saying they forgot. Actually the dumb sumabitches failed to do the right thing. They should all be in jail.

They knew the area was subject to earthquakes and tsunamis. And they failed to keep the water flowing. Really, they have no excuse. None.

And now they can't keep the water from flowing.

And we trust these people because..., why?

[Scairp]

10. I don't trust them

But it's a different country so we have little say in how they have handled this situation. Very badly as we suspected all along and now know for certain. I don't get it. The Japanese have been the innovators since after WWII and they can't figure out how to manage a nuclear crisis before building these power plants, in their earthquake and tsunami-prone island country? Of all the countries that should be most sensitive to nuclear disasters you'd think Japan would be more vigilant than any other in the world, considering they are the only country in history who has had nuclear weapons used against them offensively. It is mind boggling what they have allowed to happen and also lying about it and just generally seeming incompetent. I never would have thunk it, not of Japan.

[cui bono]

2. Yeah, we mustn't anger the investors for god's sake. n/t

[Sunlei]

6. ugg and now look how the pant cuffs aren't properly attached to the boots :(

[Cha]

8. Thank you for the report..

[Stargazer99]

9. One damn good reason why basic needs should never be privitized

Despite you conservative trolls bullcrap that everything works better privitized, what a laugh, but, yeah your right some of them will bite without thinking about your "solutions" that don't work

[freshwest]

11. Basic needs should never be privatized +1,000!