The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #136314   Message #3125618
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
31-Mar-11 - 01:20 PM
Thread Name: BS: Japan Nuclear plant disaster, 2011
Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear plant disaster looming
Sendai, the city of over one million in Fukushima Prefecture, now has restored water, gas and electricity to about two-thirds of the city. Some subway lines are open and the rest are still being checked for problems.
The Nissan plant at Iwate, Fukushima Prefecture, is about to reopen and hopes to be in full production by June (produces high end Fuga = Infiniti models.

The Japanese government has told the IAEA that it has no plans to expand the evacuation zone at this time.

Japan will return to full industrial production in June, according to government ministers. The concern at present seems to be that Tokyo and other city use of air-conditioning and other increased uses in the hot and humid summer will put too much of a demand on energy supply, and 'rolling' blackouts are likely.
(The available power directed to industry? No announcements about allocations yet.)

Plans for 16 new nuclear reactors are under consideration by the government, although there is a hold on construction at present. (Type??)

Although a government announcement has been made that Fukushima Daiichi will be closed, there is still comment around that reactors 5 and 6 will be reopened after the other reactors are under control.

The above from Japan Times, BBC, and CBC.
It looks like the Japanese government wants to put the Fukushima 'problem' into the 'controlled' category as soon as possible so that normal industrial production can resume.

The CNN has been running loudly with a story that the workers at the Fukushima Daiichi plant do not have sufficient protective clothing and that they are poorly fed, at times having only crackers and an energy supplement. No other 'news' source has carried this story.

It is evident that some workers were badly exposed to radiation in water on the floors. This seems due to negligence on the part of TEPCO and poor worker training. Possible dangers should have been metered.