NHK and the rest of the mass media in Japan is in an uproar about the Fukushima disaster again. I am cynical but some of the latest revelations shock me. Especially this, as reported by CNN:
"TEPCO also found itself under further scrutiny over the weekend when the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said it was investigating a report that subcontracted workers at the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant were told to use lead covers in order to hide unsafe radiation levels." http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/23/world/asia/japan-fukushima-report I did not think they had the gall to do that! There was a lot of lying during and after the 1999 Tokai criticality accident. That did not surprise me, but the Fukushima clean up is a much bigger project and it is the subject of intense press coverage from the start, so I did not think they would play stupid games. I underestimated how dumb they are. NHK broadcast a recreation of the disaster yesterday, with actors wearing hazmat suits, and a voiceover. Sort of tacky but it did make it clear what happened. These poor schmucks were bringing in automobile batteries scavenged from abandoned cars, trying to power the equipment panels. The voice-over was saying "they did not have proper equipment, unlike an American nuclear power plant, so they were forced to improvise. But was it was too late . . ." Kaboom! and stuff falls from the ceiling like in a 1970s disaster movie, as the plant blows sky high. I assume this is technically accurate and there were people in the building when it exploded. Maybe in a nearby building with control panels. (I tuned in late and missed the intro.) I guess the lower levels of the building were pretty strong. - Jed
