Japan ministers ignored safety warnings over nuclear reactors

guardian.co.uk ^ | Saturday 12 March 2011 18.51 GMT | Robin McKie

[SteveH]

Seismologist Ishibashi Katsuhiko claimed that an accident was likely and that plants have 'fundamental vulnerability'

The timing of the near nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi could not have been more appropriate. In only a few weeks the world will mark the 25th anniversary of the worst nuclear plant disaster ever to affect our planet – at Chernobyl in Ukraine. A major core meltdown released a deadly cloud of radioactive material over Europe and gave the name Chernobyl a terrible resonance.

This weekend it is clear that the name Fukushima came perilously close to achieving a similar notoriety. However, the real embarrassment for the Japanese government is not so much the nature of the accident but the fact it was warned long ago about the risks it faced in building nuclear plants in areas of intense seismic activity. Several years ago, the seismologist Ishibashi Katsuhiko stated, specifically, that such an accident was highly likely to occur. Nuclear power plants in Japan have a "fundamental vulnerability" to major earthquakes, Katsuhiko said in 2007.

[SteveH]

Why Worry? Japan's Nuclear Plants at Grave Risk From Quake Damage (from IHT Aug. 11, 2007)

Ishibashi Katsuhiko

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2688743/posts

[the invisib1e hand]

Bush’s fault.

[driftdiver]

Does Japan have a choice? Stay in the dark or use nuclear energy.

[maine-iac7]

The timing of the near nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi could not have been more appropriate. ....

"appropriate?"

Can NO ONE write anymore.

[Straight Vermonter]

Of course we will just have to ignore that the earthquake itself did nothing to damage the reactors.

[Straight Vermonter]

Of course we will just have to ignore the fact that the earthquake itself did nothing to damage the reactors.

[xjcsa]

The timing of the near nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi could not have been more appropriate.

Wow.

[sam_paine]

The timing of the near nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi could not have been more appropriate. In only a few weeks the world will mark the 25th anniversary of the worst nuclear plant disaster ever to affect our planet – at Chernobyl in Ukraine.

The writer wrote exactly what they meant. They are ecstatic that they have been given a new ball bat to beat on nuclear industry. Now they don't have to revive Chernobyl. They have a brand new stalking horse.

[yldstrk]

Excuse me? What pray tell are they supposed to do? This article is muck raking at its best.

[chris_bdba]

I kind of tune it outt whenever they mention Chernobyl.Chernobyl had no continment vessel this one has a doule containment.Stories like this are designed to incite panic in the no nukes crowd IMHO.

[chris_bdba]

I kind of tune it outt whenever they mention Chernobyl.Chernobyl had no containment vessel this one has a double containment.Stories like this are designed to incite panic in the no nukes crowd IMHO.

[bert]

......Can NO ONE write anymore.....

When you are trying to remember your string of hyperbole and lies for several days running, it becomes difficult to ascertain correctness

[maine-iac7]

When you are trying to remember your string of hyperbole and lies for several days running, it becomes difficult to ascertain correctness

ah yes. Now that I'm retired and out of the newspaper business - safely hibernating in my little forest haven, I tend to forget how totally taken over the industry is. (I deliberately try to forget, much as I can. Survival instinct.)