Liberal Debutante

The world’s largest nuclear plant.

In Kashiwazaki, Japan a 6.8-magnitude earthquake disrupted a nuclear plant on Wednesday creating a radioactive leak. At the time they reported that about 100 barrels had fallen over polluting surrounding areas. Well, turns out it was actually about 400 barrels, with the lids coming off 40 of them.

The amount that leaked into the Sea of Japan was one-billionth of Japan’s legal limit. Other productions were halted because of quake damage at major parts suppliers such as Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Fuji. Repairs workers are climbing all over charred machinery and unstable structures. There are cracks in the buildings and roads, toppled fences and walls and buckled sidewalks.

Still none of this dismay and damage excuses that the company first said there was no leak, and understated the environmental damage. There are currently being multiple safety checks run to ensure that not only are they being truthful about the amount spilled, but also that the conditions are good enough for workers to continue to be working.

This isn’t the first leak found at this particular plant either. In 2001 a radioactive leak was found. And this is the world’s largest nuclear power plant. After the spill there was also a report that 50 other malfunctions were happening around the plant. Although the information hasn’t been released there are speculations that the fault line may actually be running directly underneath the power plant. The plant has been warned about being too close to a fault line, and many residents had filed lawsuits claiming that the government had failed to conduct sufficient tests and reviews before allowing the construction of the plant. However, in 2005 the Tokyo government threw out 33 complaints saying there were no real grounds for their complaints and concerns and that the government had done a fine job of inspecting the site pre-construction.

We have yet another preventable problem all because people are unwilling to invest money and time into ensuring that people and the environment are safe.

Over all the quakes’ fatalities are at 11, and 8000 residents are being housed in shelters. Many of these residents work in the power plants, and besides not working they’re dealing with heavy rains, landslides, and power/water outages.

Cross posted at Appletree