Diet panel to tackle question: Did TEPCO want to desert Fukushima plant?

[kristopher]

If you are not aware of how close Japan came to a "worst case scenario" you'll want to read this.

Diet panel to tackle question: Did TEPCO want to desert Fukushima plant?
May 16, 2012

A Diet committee will try to determine who is telling the truth about a key phase in the Fukushima nuclear disaster: politicians or executives of Tokyo Electric Power Co.

The issue concerns disturbing allegations from politicians that TEPCO wanted to abandon the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant during the early stages of the disaster last year, a move that could have exacerbated the crisis.

TEPCO has vehemently denied the company had any plans to desert the stricken plant. But from May 17, politicians will be summoned to the Diet's Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission to give their side of the story.

The central government's Investigation Committee on the Accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations and TEPCO's Fukushima Nuclear Accidents Investigation Committee have released interim reports about their respective efforts in dealing with the nuclear disaster. The private-sector Independent Investigation Commission on the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident also released its final report in late February.

All three accounts have differing interpretations ...

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201205160096

[flamingdem]

1. There was a head for the hills moment

probably right after the explosion happened, it was reported that the plant was evacuated except for a few people

[kristopher]

2. Late night Mar 14 early morning Mar 15.

Tepco wanted to pull everyone out, a move that would have probably led to their "worst case" scenario, as I understand it.

TEPCO is now trying to rewrite the story.

[flamingdem]

3. We both remember it

and for sure there is a recording of the news that day -- they are so out to lunch, sigh.

[kristopher]

4. Fukushima probe must clarify whether TEPCO tried to run

Here is an associated editorial from the same paper

Fukushima probe must clarify whether TEPCO tried to run

May 16, 2012 By KEIJI TAKEUCHI/ Senior Staff Writer

Did Tokyo Electric Power Co. ask government officials to allow all company workers to evacuate the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant at a critical stage of last year’s accident, or didn’t it?

That question must be answered clearly and conclusively. If it is not answered and the contents of the relevant exchanges between the company and officials are not fully uncovered, then the investigations into the disaster will have been of dubious benefit and Japan’s suitability for operating nuclear power plants in the future will be brought into question.

A serious nuclear accident is fundamentally different from any other type of plant incident because those in charge have to make a choice between evacuation and abandoning control over a nuclear plant or continuing work at the facility.

That boils down to a choice between radioactive contamination over a vast area and the lives of workers.

When a ....

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201205160088

[NickB79]

5. Dumb question: why is it called a diet panel? Is DIET an acryonym for something? NT

[kristopher]

6. Diet = Parliament in Japan

[NickB79]

7. Thanks! nt

[bananas]

8. And a lot of other countries, too

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_(assembly)

[kristopher]

9. In the late 19th early 20th Century they modeled their government and schools after Germany. nt

NT

[Nihil]

10. I expect they'll find TEPCO guilty ...

... but you have to wonder about the difficulties of the Diet committee
in their task: Trying to determine the nuggets of truth that exist between
group A of known, proven liars (TEPCo) and group B of known, proven
liars (politicians) whilst still fighting against the CYA evasion of their
incompetent civil service ("But the failure of government officials to compile
accurate minutes of that meeting will make it difficult to determine what
exactly was said&quot .

It's a good formula to determine who has the most political (and/or financial)
clout under the current situation but a thankless & frustrating task to be sure.

[kristopher]

11. I don't think it will be that difficult as...

..there was a great deal of contemporaneous discussion of TEPCOs actions; but you never know.