Japan pledges action in wake of nuclear plant crisis
The struggle to contain radiation at the complex has unfolded with near-constant missteps — including two workers drenched yesterday with radioactive water despite wearing supposedly waterproof suits. The unfolding drama has drawn increasing criticism of the utility that owns the plant as well as scrutiny of Japan’s preparedness for nuclear crises.
“Our preparedness was not sufficient,” Edano said. “When the current crisis is over, we must examine the accident closely and thoroughly review safety standards.”
An investigation found that Tokyo Electric Power Co officials had dismissed scientific evidence and geological history that indicated that a massive earthquake — and subsequent tsunami — was far more likely than they believed.
That left the complex with nowhere near enough protection against the tsunami.
A massive offshore earthquake triggered the tsunami that slammed into Japan’s northeast, wiping out towns, killing thousands of people and knocking out power and backup systems at the coastal nuclear power plant.
More than 11,000 bodies have been recovered, but officials say the final death toll is expected to exceed 18,000. Hundreds of thousands of people remain homeless, their homes and livelihoods destroyed. Damage could amount to $310 billion (€220bn) — the most expensive natural disaster on record.
The mission to stabilise the power plant has been fraught with setbacks, as emergency crews have dealt with fires, explosions and radiation scares in the frantic bid to prevent a complete meltdown.
The plant has been leaking radiation that has made its way into vegetables, raw milk and tap water as far away as Tokyo.
Residents within 20 kilometres of the plant have been ordered to leave and some nations have banned the imports of food products from the Fukushima region.
Highly toxic plutonium was the latest contaminant found seeping into the soil outside the plant, TEPCO said. Safety officials said the amounts did not pose a risk to humans, but the finding supports suspicions that dangerously radioactive water is leaking from damaged nuclear fuel rods.
“The situation is very grave,” Edano told reporters.
Workers succeeded last week in reconnecting some parts of the plant to the power grid. But as they pumped in water to cool the reactors and nuclear fuel, they discovered numerous pools of radioactive water, including in the basements of several buildings and in trenches outside of them.
The contaminated water has been emitting four times as much radiation as the government considers safe for workers. It must be pumped out before electricity can be restored and the regular cooling systems powered up.
That has left officials struggling with two crucial but contradictory efforts: pumping in water to keep the fuel rods cool and pumping out contaminated water.
The latest mishap came when three workers trying to connect a pump outside the Unit 3 reactor were splashed by radioactive water that gushed from a pipe.
They quickly washed it off and were not injured.
THE economic cost of natural and manmade disasters tripled to £136 billion (€154bn) last year, with earthquakes the main cause of death and destruction.
About 304,000 people died in disasters last year, a sharp rise from 15,000 in 2009.
Haiti’s earthquake alone claimed 222,000 lives, while almost 56,000 people were killed by Russia’s summer heatwave and more than 6,200 people died from floods in China and Pakistan.
Zurich-based Swiss Reinsurance said insurers bore £27bn of the cost of disasters last year, a 60% year-on-year increase.
The earthquakes in Chile and New Zealand had insured losses of over £7.5bn, it said. Eight other disasters, including storms in the United States, Germany, France and Australia cost insurers more than £623 million last year.
The only man-made catastrophe to make the costliest top ten was the Deepwater Horizon explosion that caused a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
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