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Benjamin McKeown

Fukushima nuclear accident down to human factors | New Scientist - 0 views

www.newscientist.com/...accident-down-to-human-factors

japan fukushima disaster hazards

shared by Benjamin McKeown on 12 Dec 16 - No Cached
  • “They restarted Oi without addressing any of the real issues.”
  • “We could have another Fukushima-scale nuclear accident tomorrow and 18 months down the line we’d be right back to where we are now,” says Watanabe.
  • calls “the Japanese mindset” that meant the disaster was very much “made in Japan”. The disaster’s “fundamental causes are to be found in the ingrained conventions of Japanese culture: our reflexive obedience; our reluctance to question authority,” Kurokawa says.
Benjamin McKeown

International response to the Chernobyl accident - 0 views

www.eoearth.org/...onse_to_the_Chernobyl_accident

chernobyl HL pollution

shared by Benjamin McKeown on 19 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • Quite early on, attempts were made by the United States, WHO/HQ, and OCHA to coordinate both the humanitarian and research initiatives. One problem was a lack of clarity over the leadership of the newly independent states: the Russian Federation regarded itself as senior to the others, the accident occurred in Ukraine, and Belarus was the most affected country. The United States and WHO/HQ each claimed to have made exclusive agreements with the affected states—IPHECA to the effect that it was to be an umbrella under which all research and humanitarian activities would be coordinated, and the United States to the effect that it had priority where the conduct of research was concerned. OCHA claimed that its mandate overrode other humanitarian-linked agreements. The result was a serious lack of coordination and a fair measure of chaos on both humanitarian and research fronts.
Benjamin McKeown

Japan panel: Fukushima nuclear disaster 'man-made' - BBC News - 0 views

www.bbc.com/...world-asia-18718057

japan fukushima disaster hazards

shared by Benjamin McKeown on 12 Dec 16 - No Cached
  • It said that the situation at the plant worsened in the aftermath of the earthquake because government agencies "did not function correctly", with key roles left ambiguous. It also highlighted communication failures between Tepco and the office of then Prime Minister Naoto Kan, whose visit to the site in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake "diverted" staff.
  • "Japan's regulators need to shed the insular attitude of ignoring international safety standards and transform themselves into a globally trusted entity," it said.
  • "could and should have been foreseen and prevented" and its effects "mitigated by a more effective human response",
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • The report catalogued serious deficiencies in both the government and plant operator Tepco's response.
  • It also blamed cultural conventions and a reluctance to question authority. Analysis By Mariko OiBBC News, Tokyo While the report is highly critical of all the key parties, it digs even deeper. The panel called the disaster "Made in Japan", because the mindset that allowed the accident to happen can be found across the country. It flagged up the bureaucracy's role in both promoting and regulating the nuclear industry, and also cultural factors such as a traditional reluctance to question authority. The report was expected to use strong language, but not many thought it would be this harsh. The panel also found that there was a possibility that the plant was damaged by the earthquake, contradicting the official position that only the tsunami contributed to the disaster. It could put further pressure on the government, which recently authorised the restart of two nuclear reactors in western Japan. They were declared safe in April but the plant also sits on top of a fault line.
  • "Although triggered by these cataclysmic events, the subsequent accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant cannot be regarded as a natural disaster," it sai
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