[Column] If I were the sailor, I cannot miss these 3 points

8 US navy sailors sued Tepco. This is historical because it’s the first case of Tepco sued outside of Japan to be followed by possible numerous other cases.
This could be a huge chance for Japanese victimes too but there are also some points to be careful about.

1. Focus on the negligence of Tepco

Since this August, Fukushima Diary has been reporting the video record of Tepco just after 311, which shows their significant ignorance and negligence.
(cf, Tepco “We don’t know but let’s say reactor3 had a hydrogen explosion because NISA said so.” [Link])
(cf, 3/13/2011, Tepco had no cash to buy batteries, went to a DIY store but it was closed. Reactor3 exploded the next day [Link])

It can take time for health symptoms to appear, so it may be difficult to prove radiation effect on health. Also, they are very likely to hire “experts” from nuclear industry side to show the amount of radiation release. However,everyone must admit their negligence and ignorance to see the fact that they did not even build the sacrophagus, even hesitated to inject sea water.
(cf, Tepco “What a waste to inject sea water to reactor2″ [Link])
(cf, Tepco executives disappeared from emergency headquarters after the explosion of reactor1 [Link])

Also, Tepco’s negligence and ignorance matter to Japanese people, American people living on the west coast, all the other people who had possible internal exposure from the contaminated food.
On the other hand, if they focus on the amount and direction of radioactive material released, only external exposure and the wind direction would be mainly issued, it would be disadvantage for the next potential plaintiffs. At least money should never be the focus.

2. Don’t let Tepco raise electric utility expense and JP government raise tax rate to pay compensation

Most of the Japanese people expect those plaintiffs to win, but actually some people are wary. Some people think Japanese should be compensated before the sailors, some people think Japanese government would raise the tax rate to pay compensation. Actually Tepco requested additional financial support from the nuclear fund on 12/27/2012 though they raise salary. Our wallet is their pocket.
It is important to point out the value of the total property of Tepco to not let them escape.
(cf, Tepco raises salary [Link])
(cf, Former president of Tepco, Shimizu got the golden parachute [Link])

3. Make Tepco disclose all the concealed data

Tepco still conceals data just after 311.
(cf, Tepco may be hiding unknown explosion occurred on 3/16/2011 [Link])
(cf, [Concealed explosion at reactor2?] D/W pressure jumped up twice on 3/16/2011 [Link])
It is presumed that Tepco will refer to IAEA and WHO to justify themselves in the lawsuit. They will mainly focus on discrediting the basis of plaintiffs. That will be time and energy consuming to fight UN related organizations, however they can not deny that Tepco still conceals primary data just after 311 without any “proper” reason. Even in the worst case that the sailors lose, disclosing the concealed data will have the significant meaning for other plaintiffs to follow.
Hopefully the plaintiffs should show up in public with anti-nuclear authorities such as Arnie Gundersen to win further authenticity before they start discrediting as well.

 

 

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Français :

[Édito] Si j’étais le marin, je ne pourrais pas rater ces 3 points

8 marins de l’US Navy poursuivent Tepco. C’est historique parce que c’est la première fois qu’une plainte est déposée contre Tepco hors du Japon et que ce peut être suivi par de nombreuses autres.
Ce pourrait être une énorme chance pour les victimes japonaises aussi mais il y a quelques aspects auxquels il faut faire attention.

1. Se concentrer sur les négligences de Tepco

Depuis août dernier, le Fukushima Diary a publié les enregistrements vidéo de Tepco juste après le 11-3 montrant leurs considérables ignorances et négligences.
(cf. Tepco : “We don’t know but let’s say reactor3 had a hydrogen explosion because NISA said so.” [Lien]) ***
(cf. 13 mars 2011 : Tepco sans liquide pour acheter des batteries, cherche un magasin de bricolage. Le réacteur 3 explose le lendemain. [Lien])

Les symptômes prennent du temps avant d’apparaître, il est donc difficile de prouver les effets de la radioactivité sur la santé. De plus, ils vont certainement recruter des “experts” de l’industrie nucléaire pour présenter une quantité de radioactivité libérée. Toutefois, tout le monde doit admettre leur négligence et leur ignorance au vu du fait qu’ils n’ont même pas construit de sacrophage et ont même hésité à injecter de l’eau de mer.
(cf. Tepco “Quel gâchis que d’injecter de l’eau de mer dans le réacteur 2”. [Lien]) ***
(cf. Les responsables de Tepco ont disparu du siège d’urgence après l’explosion du réacteur 1. [Lien]) ***

Ajouter aussi les négligences et ignorances de Tepco envers les japonais, les américains vivant sur la côte Ouest et tous les autres gens probablement victimes d’exposition interne par des aliments contaminés.
D’un autre côté, s’ils se concentrent sur les quantité et direction de la radioactivité libérée, on ne parlera que d’exposition externe et de direction des vents, ce qui sera un handicap pour les plaignants potentiels suivants. Au minimum, l’argent ne devrait jamais être le point central.

2. Ne pas laisser Tepco augmenter les prix de l’électricité et le gouvernement japonais lever des impôts pour payer les indemnisations

La plupart des japonais s’attendent à ce que ces plaignants gagnent mais certains sont méfiants. Certains pensent que les japonais devraient être indemnisés avant les marins, d’autres que le gouvernement japonais devrait créer un impôt pour indemniser les victimes. Tepco a effectivement demandé des fonds supplémentaires pour les indemnisations le 27 décembre 2012 alors qu’ils s’augmentent leurs salaires. Nos portefeuilles sont leur poche.
Il est important de montrer la valeur totale des biens financiers de Tepco pour qu’ils ne puissent pas s’échapper.
(cf. Tepco raises salary [Lien])
(cf. Former president of Tepco, Shimizu got the golden parachute [Lien])

3. Obliger Tepco à publier toutes les données censurées

Tepco retient toujours des données datant de juste après le 11 mars.
(cf. Tepco cache peut-être qu’une autre explosion s’est produite le 16 mars 2011 [Lien])
(cf. [Explosion censurée du réacteur 2 ?] la pression de l’enceinte sèche a sauté deux fois le 16 mars 2011 [Lien])
On peut penser que Tepco va se référer à l’AIEA et à l’OMS pour se justifier pendant le procès. Ils vont surtout chercher à démolir la base de la plainte. Se battre contre des organisations Onusiennes va prendre du temps et de l’énergie mais ils ne peuvent pas nier qu’ils font sans raison “valable” une rétention des informations de base datant de juste après le 11 mars. Même au pire des cas, celui où les marins perdent, publier ces données censurées aura des effets significatifs sur les autres plaintes à suivre.
Par chance, les plaignants peuvent se montrer publiquement avec des sommités anti-nucléaires telles que Arnie Gundersen pour obtenir plus d’authenticité avant que commencent les dénigrements.

NDT: *** Ces articles avaient été traduits en français en leur temps mais leur traduction a actuellement disparu. Nous en cherchons la raison. Merci pour votre patience et avec nos excuses. (NB: Ils sont toujours disponibles en français sur la page Facebook du Fukushima Diary FR)

  1. I’m sure many could use this freindly-fire precedent as the basis of their own retrospective lawsuits.

    Good Luck to you!

  2. If this backfires…as I can imagine the US and Japanese governments, nuke companies and militaries are working towards…It will end compensation for everyone as it will become a showcase.
    I may be wrong, but I think Japanese law only allows four years for cases to be brought before the courts, so tepco, kan, noda, hosono and yamashita only have to last another two and a bit years and then they can walk away Scott free!
    We need more actions from both Japanese and foreign entities.

    1. This is now an international incident. If Japan tries to evade their responsibilities the United Nations will intervene.

  3. This is all very odd. The US knew (or quickly realized) how bad things were. Military people, when they sign on, are for all intents and purposes, property of the US government. They signed on to work on a nuclear-powered vessel, and then they are surprised when they are contaminated??? So while they are entitled to sue, how likely is it that they would win, given they have abrograted rights to the military they served, and the military isn’t a party to the suit? These military workers can’t sue the military (in the US, you have to gain permission FROM the US to sue the US government), so while I understand that they feel they suing the Japanese government/TEPCO is their only option, the Japanese government didn’t force them to be on that naval ship, or to stay under the plume. And, even if TEPCO had been totally transparent, would that have prevented these soldiers’ exposure, or made any difference at all? Since the lawsuit, if it continues, will require significant depositions/disclosures, TEPCO will likely seek to settle out of court to avoid disclosure.

    What makes me really sad about this whole thing is that a woman, 2 months pregnant?, was allowed to be working on a nuclear powered vessel at all, and that she was allowed to put herself in harms way during this accident. Feminists are not all cut out of the same cloth; while some argue for the “right” to fight and die alongside their male counterparts in the military, others, like myself, feel that to assert feminist rights includes the responsibility to say “no” to participating in military practices that are the most egregious form of economic slavery, and which inevitable result in the loss of life … and thus, in my mind, military service is no place for women, whose biological gift is the ability to create and nurture life. I do think we need to have people ready to help in the case of nuclear crises, but these people, at the very least, should be provided with full informed consent with respect to the dangers they are likely to face, and be provided with more protective gear. Since women are at least twice as radiosensitive as men, and fetuses 1000+ times as sensitive, it only makes sense that those who may be pregnant should be proected from exposure. I hope the 1 year old plaintiff is not suffering 🙁

  4. Presumably Marines named Lawrence as permitted to serve irrespective of traditional gender roles.

  5. Someone needs to state the EXACT position of the USS Reagan at the time of the reactor failures. As for the Americans, they know what will happen to them. Their fates are sealed, but still millions of others are in DANGER in Japan and around the World.
    The Americans are complicit with the Japanese government in this disaster.
    The Worlds media continues to cover up every aspect of it.
    These are High Crimes.

  6. The most astute of you will know that TEPCO was running MOX fuel trials for the Obama Government as part of US government policy – at Fukushima.
    They will not admit this publically, however after reactor fuel rod failures at Duke Power, with physicists screaming ‘get these out of the reactor before there is a meltdown’ – should give those interested here more than enough information to follow up on.

    If you want a meltdown at the slightest earth tremor – use MOX as you next reactor fuel!

  7. These sailors should be just as incensed over the lies fed to them about the pedophile-rapist, multi-adulterous, Treason-fomenting, War Criminal, wife and political party swapping Ronald Reagan. The most unpatriotic, immoral and unethical S.O.B. to be president and whose name graces the aircraft carrier they were stationed on.

  8. Prof Hirokai Koide June 2011 lecture
    paraphrasing toward end of video

    http://www.infiniteunknown.net/2011/06/16/prof-hiroaki-koide-of-kyoto-university-on-the-ugly-truth-about-the-nuclear-disasters-of-chernobyl-and-fukushima-video/

    The government and TEPCO are very well aware of the gravity of the situation but do nothing more as follows. Notes: “Power companies and govt also know how dangerous, aware of the danger too. [1:07:47] So they take measures to absolve companies of liability in case a catastrophic accident occurs. “Catastrophic” like Fukushima… they are dismissed.. how? By making a law. “ In 1957 the United States passed the Price-Anderson Act and in 1961 Japan the “Act of Compensation for Nuclear Damage.” They both limit the liability that the power company is liable for. Revisions in 2009 would put that amount in Japan 120 billion Yen

    Professor pointed out that the economic devastation was so great, the Soviet Union collapsed and could not evacuate the entire population at risk because of cost. otherwise, Soviets could not possibly and have not adequately buried and/or contained all the nuclear waste. Think of all the costs: evacuation, new habitat, medical expenses, addtl expenses for decorporation, addtl medical diseases, disabilities and cancers, water that needs to be filtered, soils and forests need rehabilitation, relocation expenses, damages to individuals, welfare payments, disruption to businesses, loss of land and assets, atmospheric and soils testing, monitoring, sarcophagus for each reactor, monitored and replaced every 25 years, for the next 250,000 to one million years. As professor said, quite a legacy for the following generations. And there are about 54 nuclear plants in Japan.

    The power company was guaranteed a profit,[1:14] regulated to be profitable and protected from liability by law. [1:07] Began as 5 billion Yen in 1957. They pay a set amount that was revised in 2009, I believe it is 120 billion yen and they keep their other assets and go back to being a smaller, profitable company. The government is liable to cover all other liability – that means the people’s taxes beyond the foreseeable future. The more the people don’t know, the less they will demand, the more they will not cause expenses or civil or political disruption. A government representative is already working on legislation to divide up the company, remove all the nuclear plants and management to the government and give the profitable assets to the power company and for it to carry on. The only thing left would be the approval of the Diet. The people are left being liable for damages done to them. Paraphrasing the Professor: “He says of course we have to help these people; but TEPCO should be responsible; but they’ll use our tax money. TEPCO, why our money, I don’t understand.. I think real responsibility TEPCO, but they will use our money. Nuclear built on this law.“ It is the same in the United States. Price­-Anderson Act, 1957.

    “Nuclear Safety Commission publishes “White Paper…” Professor calls them “Nuclear Safety Propaganda Commission” The Paper published in 2000, the year after the JCO accident states: “Many who work in the field of nuclear power do not really think that nuclear power is really safe.” What do you think? Go ask the Chugoku Electric Power Company. They’ve been saying it’s absolutely safe for decades, but today maybe not. They might have doubts now, but they’ve continued to say it’s safe. In the paper it’s “Many in the nuclear field don’t think nuclear is absolutely safe.” It means they’re aware of the inherent danger of it. [1:21:55]

    But accidents do happen. “ End go to Q and A period

  9. I’ll immediately take hold of your rss feed as I can not in finding your email subscription link or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly let me know so that I may subscribe. Thanks.

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About this site

This website updates the latest news about the Fukushima nuclear plant and also archives the past news from 2011. Because it's always updated and added live, articles, categories and the tags are not necessarily fitted in the latest format.
I am the writer of this website. About page remains in 2014. This is because my memory about 311 was clearer than now, 2023, and I think it can have a historical value. Now I'm living in Romania with 3 cats as an independent data scientist.
Actually, nothing has progressed in the plant since 2011. We still don't even know what is going on inside. They must keep cooling the crippled reactors by water, but additionally groundwater keeps flowing into the reactor buildings from the broken parts. This is why highly contaminated water is always produced more than it can circulate. Tepco is planning to officially discharge this water to the Pacific but Tritium is still remaining in it. They dilute this with seawater so that it is legally safe, but scientifically the same amount of radioactive tritium is contained. They say it is safe to discharge, but none of them have drunk it.

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