GE designed reactors involved in Japan nuclear crisis

[The Straight Story]

GE's Immelt to meet with Tepco officials in Japan

GE designed reactors involved in Japan nuclear crisis

(Reuters) - General Electric Co (GE.N) Chief Executive Jeff Immelt is headed to Japan to meet with officials including executives at Tokyo Electric Power Co (9501.T), which operates the Fukushima power plant that is the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

"He is going to Japan to meet with customers, partners and employees. He does have a meeting with Tepco," company spokeswoman Deirdre Latour said on Friday.

Engineers at GE, which designed the reactors used in the Fukushima plant, have been advising on response to the nuclear crisis, but not directly, instead working through Hitachi Ltd (6501.T), GE's joint venture partner in the nuclear business, GE spokesmen have said.

The chief executive of French reactor maker Areva (CEPFi.PA), Anne Lauvergeon, has already appeared in Japan, saying on Thursday that she wanted to send staff to help handle the crisis.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/01/japan-ge-idUSN0115462820110401

[catenary]

1. I'm sure they'll be glad to get all the help they can. That poor guy does have an unfortunate name

though..."I mmelt"?

ewww

[bananas]

2. Immelt and Lauvergeon are probably there for top-level PR and lobbying campaigns

"The only people this might be over for in two weeks are the slimeballs at GE who went over to Japan with Bush officials in 2006. Then and there they saw to it that the popular mayor of Fukushima was removed from office, and his goal of de-commissioning the plant was no longer attainable. Then they installed a pro-nuke industry guy as the new mayor, and made sure that this poorly designed plant kept on a-running."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x283169

[kristopher]

3. Vendor liability for accidents is the main bone of contention in US-India nuke policy

India says they will hold the vendors responsible for the consequences of their product. The nuclear industry rejects that as unreasonable.

[unkachuck]

4. "GE's Immelt to meet with Tepco officials in Japan"

....immelt will straighten those fussy Japanese out....we could understand the situation better if it were a Soviet commie reactor, but things like this can't happen to good ole American-made GE Mark 1....

....more American-exceptionalism on display....