Fukushima, government charges Tepco with mismanagement of radioactive water
Tokyo (AsiaNews) - The inspectors and those involved in the safety of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima-Daiichi "did not properly check" deposits of radioactive water and "have not kept records of government inspections, in fact creating a short circuit that has resulted in the leaking of contaminated material" says Toyoshi Fuketa, Nuclear Regulation Authority commissioner, after an inspection of facilities.
The visit came a few days after
the new crisis
that hit the nuclear power plant, accused of having leaked at least 300
tons of radioactive water into the sea. Speaking
with the media, Fuketa explained that "Fundamentally, for a facility holding that kind
of radioactive water, they did not take action that foresaw the risks of
possible leaks. On top of that, and this is an impression I had before my
visit, I can't help but say that the inspections were careless.."
On
11 March 2011, an earthquake hit the eastern coast of Japan, causing a huge tsunami
- with waves of over 40 meters high - which swept the area of Fukushima and
its nuclear power plants. The magnitude 9 earthquake had a catastrophic impact:
15,850 dead, 6,011 wounded and 3,287 missing; 800 thousand buildings destroyed;
fires in many areas, roads and railways damaged; dams breached. Four million
families in the Northeast were left without electricity and a million without
water.
Since
the disaster, the Japanese government and the Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO, the
plant operator hit) have been blaming each other. At
first, the government has sought to praise the "heroic" behavior of company
managers but - with the passage of time - additional problems with the
management and control of nuclear power plant have emerged which has led the
Japanese public to believe Tepco
"solely responsible" for what happened.
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04/07/2023 17:43
