Antinuclear

Japanese politicians organise Group for Zero Nuclear Power

 (Group for Zero Nuclear Power), made up of nine politicians from seven political parties

The lawmakers’ group plans to campaign for a phased scrapping of nuclear reactors, similar to the policy adopted by Germany.

Experts warn against restarting nuclear reactors in Japan, Times of India, Subodh Varma, TNN | Jun 28, 2012, NEW DELHI: Japan is in ferment as the date for restarting two of its nuclear reactors draws close after over an year’s shutdown. Hundreds have participated in protests at several places. Local councils are confused and divided. Two seismic experts publicly warned that the government is under-estimating the threat to these reactors which are located very near a seismic fault.

And a group of lawmakers cutting across political parties released a danger ranking of 50 nuclear reactors in Japan calling for their phased decommissioning. ….
Seismic modeling by Japan’s nuclear regulator did not properly take
into account active fault lines near the Ohi plant, according to
Katsuhiko Ishibashi, a seismologist at Kobe University, reports
Reuters.

“The stress tests and new safety guidelines for restarting nuclear
power plants both allow for accidents at plants to occur,” Ishibashi
told reporters. “Instead of making standards more strict, they both
represent a severe setback in safety standards.”

Experts advising Japan’s nuclear industry had underestimated the
seismic threat, Mitsuhisa Watanabe, a tectonic geomorphology professor
at Tokyo University, said at the same news conference.

“The expertise and neutrality of experts advising Japan’s Nuclear
Industrial Safety Agency are highly questionable,” said Watanabe,
according to Reuters. ….
According to Genpatsu Zero no Kai (Group for Zero Nuclear Power), made
up of nine politicians from seven political parties, the No. 1 and No.
2 reactors at Fukui Prefecture’s Oi nuclear power plant are the most
dangerous in Japan, reports Asahi Shimbun. In consultation with
nuclear and seismic experts they ranked the threat posed by the
nation’s 50 reactors on a 10-point scale.

Oi’s two oldest reactors, which are more than 30 years old and located
on fault lines that some scientists say may be active, were considered
more dangerous than reactors at the Fukushima’s No. 1 and No. 2
nuclear plants.There are no immediate plans to restart them. The No. 3
and No. 4 reactors at the same plant, which have been in service for
20 years or less, are due to be restarted.

The lawmakers’ group plans to campaign for a phased scrapping of nuclear reactors, similar to the policy adopted by Germany.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Experts-warn-against-restarting-nuclear-reactors-in-Japan/articleshow/14473347.cms

June 29, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized