Tuesday, February 5, 2013

The Asahi-Shimbun: Japan's New Nuclear Regulator Perpetuates "Cozy" Relationships




Jin Nishikawa (2 February 2013) ‘ Nuclear Watchdog in Hot Water Over Leaked Report to Tsuruga Plant Operator’, The Asahi Shimbun, http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201302020068, date accessed 5 February, 2013.
 

Majia here: The story is that a "senior official" of Japan's new NRA was removed because he leaked an internal report on the seismic activity of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant TO operator Japan Atomic Power Co. The plant is located in Fukui:
 
[Excerpted] "Tetsuo Nayuki, 54, director-general for nuclear regulation policy, received an official reprimand Feb. 1 and was transferred to his old post at the science and technology ministry, the watchdog body said.

The NRA said Nayuki met with three officials of Japan Atomic Power, including one of its managing directors, Taiki Ichimura, in the NRA office building on Jan. 22 and handed copies of the draft report, which had yet to be released to the public, to those present.... [end]


Majia here: The official who called the meeting was trying to "do the right thing."  Unfortunately for him, there are members within the NRA who are trying to keep the agency's reputation intact (or the story had leaked further):
 
[excerpted] Nayuki initially thought that providing one would help ensure more in-depth discussions at assessment meetings. But he had second thoughts, and on Jan. 23 acknowledged to colleagues what he had done. The NRA stripped him of his duties by the end of that day. [end] 


Majia here: The NRA has new transparency guidelines that apparently are being enforced: 


[excerpted] To ensure transparency, the NRA instituted a bylaw on protocol for meetings with power industry officials. It also requires that a record of such talks be kept..." [end]
 

Majia here: Still, the Asahi worries that a cozy relationship still prevails:

[Excerpted] The latest revelation would seem to suggest that a cozy relationship still exists with power utilities. The NRA was only set up last September [end]


Majia here: That cozy relationship can be found in the US, the UK, France, and probably every other nuclear nation in the world.

Nuclear is Pandora's box in so many, many ways....

Nuclear appeals to our destructive drives - THANATOS - and requires regular sacrifices of human lives from its high priests, who falsely claim that its risks are few and the effects from operations, waste, and accident are far less than they really are....




 

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