A Very Brief News Summary

There was an upswing in the volume of news content published on Fukushima during the last week.  From new hot spots, aftershocks, explosions, contamination of workers, economic fallout and new disclosures of coverups on the scale of the disaster coming to light. Eleven Japanese Governors have demanded an end to nuclear operations in their Prefectures, while Japan’s Industry minister Banri Kaieda called for the reopening of all closed reactors. Meanwhile Hitachi-GE has gotten involved in the construction of a new facility in Lithuania. Not to ignore other news, the volume of nuclear stories around the world has also gone up substantially.

Major Fukushima Disaster Resources

Sunday, June 19, 2011

• The Examiner – Children sickness linked to Fukushima radiation – Deborah Dupre
• TEPCO – Status of TEPCO’s Facilities and its services after the Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake (as of 9:00 AM, June 19)
• Asahi Shimbun – New water cleaning system at Fukushima starts then stops
• Asahi Shimbun – Some power firm shareholders wary of nuclear energy
• Daily Yomiuri – Clearly explain to local govts why reactors must be restarted
• Daily Yomiuri – Aftershocks, explosions hindered N-plant staff – Nobuhiko Harada, Noriyuki Yoshida and Hirofumi Imazu
• Daily Yomiuri – Govt pushing N-safety message / Battling on 2 fronts to ease concerns of IAEA, local governments – Fukutaro Yamashita and Kenya Hirose
• Daily Yomiuri – Japan-U.S. talks to stress ‘sympathy budget’
• Daily Yomiuri – TEPCO workers ‘frantic’ over vents
• Japan Times – Tepco plays down decontamination failure – Monami Yui and Tsuyoshi Inajima
• Japan Times – Tepco airs out humid reactor No. 2 building
• Japan Times – Tepco report reveals lack of preparedness – Reiji Yoshida
• Mainichi Daily News – Studio Ghibli displays anti-nuclear power banner
• Mainichi Daily News – France detects radioactive material in green tea from Japan
• Mainichi Daily News – Japan industry minister seeks restart of nuclear reactors
• Mainichi Daily News – Head of Japan’s nuclear safety panel expresses regret
• AP Google – New report shows early chaos at Japan nuke plant – Mari Yamaguchi
• AFP Google – TEPCO to open second Fukushima reactor building
• Bloomberg – Tepco Says Failure at Water Decontamination Won’t Delay Nuclear Solution – Monami Yui and Tsuyoshi Inajima
• CBS News – Water cleanup system shut down at Japan nuke plant
• CTV – Tainted water swells at Japan nuke plant
• Green Left Weekly – Japan: Scale of nuclear disaster, cover-up exposed
• Green Left Weekly – Japan: Huge protest against nuclear power – Alexander Brown
• The Guardian – Japan under fire for failure to implement safeguards at Fukushima
• Reuters – Radiation spike halts work at Japan nuclear plant – Hideyuki Sano
• San Francisco Chronicle – New report shows early chaos at Japan nuke plant – Mari Yamaguchi
• SFGate Bloomberg – Tepco Decontamination Failure Won’t Delay Nuclear Shutdown
• Washington Post – Japan finds hot spots in areas that seemed safe – Chico Harlan
• Xinhua News – TEPCO plans to release radioactive air from Fukushima plant’s No.2 reactor
• BBC News – China’s Nuclear Future (video)

Saturday, June 18th 2011

• Asahi Shimbun – Editorial: Government must address local anxieties over nuclear plants
• Asahi Shimbun – Families outside planned evacuation zone get help to move
• Asahi Shimbun – Fukushima prepares extensive study of radiation health effects on residents
• Asahi Shimbun – TEPCO documents show problems encountered in venting, pumping water to damaged reactors
• Daily Yomiuri – Precise response needed to quell ‘hot spot’ concerns
• Daily Yomiuri – TEPCO claims progress at nuclear plant
• Daily Yomiuri – ‘We want information!’ / Kanto residents make own radiation measurements – Tatsuya Nozaki and Yoichiro Mori
• Daily Yomiuri – Kaieda: We need N-plants / Calls on local residents to OK restart of suspended reactors
• Daily Yomiuri – Fukushima expands radiation checks
• Daily Yomiuri – IAEA meet to propose regular N-safety checks
• Daily Yomiuri – N-worker’s mask left no room for glasses
• Japan Times – ‘Hot particles’ won’t be measured – Paul Frey
• Japan Times – Impossible to live without risks – Grant Piper
• Japan Times – No shame in doing like Germany – Takeru Toki
• Japan Times – Prefectures, confused by central government, can’t decide on reactor restarts
• Japan Times – Halted reactors safe to fire up: Kaieda
• Japan Times – Fukushima panel shocked by destruction – Masami Ito
• Japan Times – Speaking out on nuclear power
• Japan Times – French find cesium in Shizuoka tea
• Japan Times – Tepco halts treatment of water after five hours
• Japan Times – IAEA calls for tsunami warning system to improve nuclear safety
• Japan Times – Halted reactors safe to fire up: Kaieda
• Japan Times – Tepco halts cleaning water after five hours
• Mainichi Daily News – IAEA report says Japan’s disaster response may have been slowed by miscommunication
• Mainichi Daily News – Editorial: Mountain of problems still remains before Fukushima plant brought under control
• Mainichi Daily News – TEPCO announces updated roadmap for ending nuclear crisis, but many problems remain
• Mainichi Daily News – Minister says severe accident measures taken, seeks reactor restart
• Mainichi Daily News – TEPCO starts full operation of key water treatment system
• Mainichi Daily News – 7 prefectures unable to decide on restart of nuclear plants
• Mainichi Daily News – Indonesia cautious about nuclear option after Fukushima crisis
• Mainichi Daily News – Kan shows no intention of quitting soon, focusing on tasks ahead
• Mainichi Daily News – Damage found to 43 pipes in steam condenser at Hamaoka atomic plant
• Nikkei – Document Shows Tepco Took 16-Plus Hours To Begin Venting Process
• Nikkei – Tepco Suspends Fukushima Daiichi Water Treatment Operation
• AP Google – Water cleanup system shut down at Japan nuke plant – Mari Yamaguchi
• AFP Google – Japan suspends waste water nuclear operation – Hiroshi Hiyama
• BBC News – Japan nuclear: Radiation halts water clean-up – Roland Buerk
• Bloomberg – Tepco Halts Water Decontamination as Cesium Absorption Limited – Kanoko Matsuyama
• Press TV – ‘Fukushima incident not fully probed’
• Reuters – U.N. nuclear report shows Japan safety shortcomings – Fredrik Dahl
• Reuters – Update 3-Radiation spike halts work at Japan nuclear plant – Hideyuki Sano
• Reuters – Tepco to request loans from Japanese life insurers-paper – Taiga Uranaka
• UPI – Japan’s radiation clean-up hits glitch

Friday, June 17, 2011

• TEPCO – Status of TEPCO’s Facilities and its services after the Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake (as of 9:00 AM, June 17)
• Asahi Shimbun – 11 governors say nuke plants should be abolished, reduced
• Asahi Shimbun – Radiation screening in high demand in Fukushima
• Asahi Shimbun – Fukushima’s emergency power failure traced to U.S. design – Kazuo Yamagishi
• Asahi Shimbun – Fukushima accident overwhelmed contingency planning
• Asahi Shimbun – Vox Populi: The Fukushima accident fundamentally changed the nuclear calculus
• Asahi Shimbun – Interview/Lee Kuan Yew: Nuclear accident hurt Japan’s reputation as a planner – Yoichi Kato
• Daily Yomiuri – Govt refines evacuation system
• Daily Yomiuri – 4 ‘hot spots’ may face evacuation advisory / High radiation levels detected in areas of Date, Minami-Soma, outside designated danger zones
• Daily Yomiuri – Latest revisions confuse locals
• Daily Yomiuri – TEPCO panel sizes up its task / Talks to cover compensation, breaking monopolies, pension cuts
• Daily Yomiuri – Antiradiation measures strengthened / TEPCO sets new timetable; clinic planned
• Daily Yomiuri – Shareholders meetings begin / Firms likely to be quizzed on management actions, post-quake steps
• Japan Times – Hitachi joins Lithuania nuke project
• Japan Times – Chubu Electric urges power-saving after Kepco snub
• Japan Times – 43 condenser pipes damaged at Shizuoka nuke plant
• Japan Times – Tepco begins work to clean coolant water – Kazuaki Nagata
• Japan Times – Some radioactive sludge to be buried
• Japan Times – Month before fuel rods are cooled, stable
• Mainichi Daily News – Full-scale operation of key water treatment system may be delayed
• Mainichi Daily News – Japan says it won’t extend carbon reduction pledge
• Mainichi Daily News – Fukushima reactions to radioactive ‘hot spot’ evacuation recommendation mixed
• Mainichi Daily News – Fukui Pref. gives priority to safety over resuming nuclear power operations
• Mainichi Daily News – News navigator: What are radiation ‘hot spots’?
• Mainichi Daily News – Tsuruga mayor still supports plan to build 2 more reactors
• Mainichi Daily News – Gov’t to designate new evacuation spots near Fukushima plant
• Mainichi Daily News – Takahagi becomes 1st municipality to demand TEPCO compensation
• Nikkei – Tohoku Electric To Use NaS Batteries To Store Off-Peak Power
• Nikkei – Tepco Starts Full Operation Of Key Water Treatment System
• Nikkei – Tepco: No Change To Schedule For Bringing Reactors To Cold Shutdown
• Nikkei – Tepco: Aim To Start Full Operation of Water Treatment Facility Late Friday
• AFP Google – Japan to start cleaning nuclear runoff water
• Al Jazeera – Fukushima: It’s much worse than you think
• Bloomberg – Japan Has 17,580 Megawatts of Nuclear Capacity Online: Table – Yuji Okada
• Financial Times – Japan approves plan to rescue Tepco – Lindsay Whipp
• International Business Times – Fukushima 100 days on: US in the spotlight – Thomas Costello
• New York Times – Japan Strains to Fix a Reactor Damaged Before Quake – Hiroko Tabuchi
• New York Times – Utility Starts Filtering Water at Stricken Japanese Nuclear Plant – Ken Belson
• New York Times – After Inspections, China Moves Ahead With Nuclear Plans – Ian Johnson
• Reuters – Japan plant starts clean-up of radioactive water – Chisa Fujioka
• UPI – Water system starts up at nuclear plant
• Wall Street Journal blog – The Geiger Club: Mothers Bust Silent Radiation Consensus – Mariko Sanchanta
• Xinhua News – TEPCO starts cleaning highly radioactive water

Thursday, June 16, 2011

• Asahi Shimbun – Fukushima’s emergency power failure traced to U.S. design – Kazuo Yamagishi
• Asahi Shimbun – Radiation screening in high demand in Fukushima
• Daily Yomiuri – Europe still dependent on nuclear power plants
• Daily Yomiuri – Govts must cooperate to tackle radioactive sludge
• Daily Yomiuri – Nuclear Crisis: How it Happened / Time needed for fresh start of N-power policy
• Daily Yomiuri – Evacuees lose welfare benefits / Cash from TEPCO, donations puts 150 households over income limit
• Japan Times – Spent-fuel pool never dried up, U.S. admits
• Japan Times – Evacuation urged for radioactive hot spots – Masami Ito
• Japan Times – Panel evaluates Tepco assets to assure redress footing – Kazuaki Nagata
• Japan Times – Kansai mulls own nuke nightmare vulnerability – Eric Johnston
• Japan Times – Panel evaluates Tepco assets to assure redress footing – Kazuaki Nagata
• Japan Times – Evacuation urged for radioactive hot spots – Masami Ito
• Japan Times – Italy’s anti-nuclear power vote
• Mainichi Daily News – TEPCO starts up water treatment system, but massive radioactive waste feared
• Mainichi Daily News – Coordination holds key to successful nuclear plant water treatment
• Mainichi Daily News – Fukushima No. 1 plant worker irradiated after taking off mask for smoke
• Mainichi Daily News – City cuts benefits of residents who received relief payments after quake
• Mainichi Daily News – Credit union makes anti-nuclear power stand, offers incentives to energy-saving customers
• Mainichi Daily News – Tokyo starts radiation checks at 100 locations
• Nikkei – Japan Should Raise Sales Tax To 15%: IMF
• Nikkei – Pensions Not Spared In Panel’s Probe Into Tepco Assets
• Nikkei – Tohoku Elec To Stick With 13-Month Inspection Cycle
• Nikkei – Govt Panel To Check TEPCO’s Assets Holds 1st Meeting
• AP Google – Japan nuke plant set to treat contaminated water
• Bloomberg – Failure Guru Probing Japan’s Nuclear Catastrophe for Lessons Not Culprits – Watanabe, Ozasa and Stuart Biggs
• Bloomberg – Tepco Monitoring Panel Plans to Issue Report in September – Pavel Alpeyev and Yuji Okada
• Bloomberg – Food Safety Fears Grow in Japan on Concern Over Radiation Exposure Tests – Aya Takada and Yasumasa Song
• International Business Times – Fukushima crisis: “it is much worse than you think “warn scientists – Anissa Haddadi
• Nature blog – Fukushima still wet ‘n’ wild
• Reuters – Japan plans to move pregnant women from far-flung radiation – Shinichi Saoshiro
• Xinhua News – TEPCO begins final tests of decontamination system

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

• Asahi Shimbun – Editorial: It’s time for the people to speak out on energy policy
• Asahi Shimbun – Hidden Agenda: Moves to oust Kan may be linked to politicians in TEPCO’s pocket – Yasuaki Oshika
• Daily Yomiuri – Compensation bill aims to help TEPCO pay victims – Hideyuki Ioka and Chiaki Toyoda
• Daily Yomiuri – Nuclear Crisis: How it Happened / ‘Nuclear power village’ a cozy, closed community
• Daily Yomiuri – Future of compensation framework bill unclear
• Daily Yomiuri – Editorial: N-damage compensation billmust pass quickly
• Japan Times – Rap artist Rumi stokes nuke fires – David Z. Morris
• Japan Times – Fukushima urged to stop relying on nuke power
• Japan Times – Son takes on atomic future with solar plans
• Japan Times – Revision of energy policy needed but keep nuclear power, think tank says – Jun Hongo
• Japan Times – Number of people receiving welfare tops 2 million mark
• Japan Times – Tokyo ups radiation checks to 100 sites
• Japan Today – Tokyo starts radiation checks at 100 locations
• Mainichi Daily News – IAEA to announce importance of having int’l frameworks for nuclear accident liability
• Mainichi Daily News – Gov’t calls TEPCO radiation exposure standards ‘overly optimistic’
• Mainichi Daily News – TEPCO unveils plan to construct shelters to cover radiation-leaking buildings
• Mainichi Daily News – Gov’t to monitor radioactive cesium in swimming areas
• Mainichi Daily News – Kansai Electric agrees to pay Fukui Pref. fuel tax on idle reactors
• Nikkei – Japan Plans Hot Spot Expansion of Evacuation Area Around Nuclear Plant
• Nikkei – TEPCO Continues Efforts To Fully Operate Key Water Treatment System
• Nikkei – Tepco Nuke Disaster Aid Bill Not Enough: JFTC Chief
• AP Google – NRC: Spent fuel pool never went dry in Japan quake
• AP Google – Traces of radiation found in 2 whales off Japan
• AFP Google – Japan finds radiation traces in whales
• Bloomberg – U.S. Says Fukushima Plant’s Spent-Fuel Pool Wasn’t Empty – Simon Lomax
• Bloomberg – Japan’s Richest Man Takes on Atomic Future With Solar Plans – Mariko Yasu
• Bloomberg – China Plans to Finish Safety Checks of Nation’s Nuclear Plants by October
• The Guardian – Tepco unveils plan to seal Fukushima reactors – video
• Reuters – Stability at Fukushima nuclear plant months away-NRC – Roberta Rampton
• Reuters – Radiation “hotspots” hinder Japan response to nuclear crisis – Kevin Krolicki and Kiyoshi Takenaka
• Reuters – Tokyo launches large-scale radiation monitoring after Fukushima
• Wall Street Journal – Japan Plant Had Earlier Alert – Chester Dawson
• Wall Street Journal blog – Deja Vu All Over Again at Fukushima Daiichi? – Chester Dawson
• Xinhua News – TEPCO to build giant cover shield around NO. 1 reactor building
• Asia: AP Google – China says its nuclear reactors passed inspections

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

• Asahi Shimbun – Poor decisions leave TEPCO workers vulnerable to radiation
• Asahi Shimbun – Editorial: TEPCO should go through legal bankruptcy process
• Asahi Shimbun – Genichiro Takahashi: Shun conventional thinking and keep broad perspective on nuclear power and terrorism
• Asahi Shimbun – Nurse trainees leave Japan despite 1-year extension
• Daily Yomiuri – From Square One / Complete nuclear shutdown next summer?
• Daily Yomiuri – From Square One / High price of going nuclear-free
• Daily Yomiuri – From Square One / People living near reactors rethink attitudes
• Daily Yomiuri – From Square One / Trust of local govts key to restarting nuclear plants
• Daily Yomiuri – ‘I never imagined I’d be on welfare’ / Far from their hometowns, unable to find work, evacuees have no other choice
• Daily Yomiuri – Nuclear Crisis: How it Happened / Safety vows forgotten, ‘safety myth’ created
• Daily Yomiuri – Cabinet OK’s compensation bill
• Daily Yomiuri – 6 more seen exposed over radiation limit
• Daily Yomiuri – Fukushima farmer kills self over N-plant
• Daily Yomiuri – No N-plants? Add 1000 yen to the power bill
• Denki Shimbun – Japanese government compiled report on Fukushima nuclear accident
• Japan Times – Yakuza eye cleanup profits
• Japan Times – Tepco begins water cleanup test treatment system in Fukushima crisis
• Japan Times – Tepco to liquidate public relations unit
• Japan Times – Despite crisis, nuclear to remain core energy source: Kaieda
• Japan Times – Radioactive sludge crisis
• Japan Times – Cabinet OKs Tepco redress bill
• Japan Times – Cabinet OKs Tepco redress bill
• Japan Times – 34,000 children in Fukushima to get dosimeters
• Japan Today – 1,400 workers wait for radiation exposure results
• Japan Today – Gov’t wants workers out of plant if dose exceeds 100 millisieverts
• Japan Today – Gov’t wants workers out of plant if dose exceeds 100 millisieverts
• Japan Today – Fukushima City to give dosimeters to 34,000 children from fall
• Mainichi Daily News – TEPCO aims to fully operate key water treatment system Fri.
• Mainichi Daily News – Italians’ rejection of nuclear power expected to have repercussions in Japan
• Mainichi Daily News – At least 330 people require living assistance in areas near stricken power plant
• Mainichi Daily News – TEPCO eyes 16 % rate hike in fiscal 2012 to cover compensation claims
• Mainichi Daily News – Gov’t sees need to review disaster response scenarios
• Mainichi Daily News – Cabinet OKs nuclear disaster compensation bill for Diet submission
• Mainichi Daily News – Shareholders propose Tohoku Electric give up nuclear power
• Nikkei – Full Nuclear Shutdown Would Cost Economy Y7.2tln A Year: JCER
• Nikkei – Nuke Power Still A Main Energy Pillar: Kaieda
• Nikkei – Power Industry Head: Nuclear Compensation Scheme Needs Shareholder Support
• YokosoNews – 311 Disaster Update #40
• AP Google – Japanese nuke plants add vents, other safety steps
• AFP Google – Support bill approved, TEPCO shares soar
• AFP Google – Japan poll finds 74% support nuclear phase-out
• AFP Google – Japan city to give radiation counters to children
• Bloomberg – Japan Needs Olympic Pool-Sized Storage Space to Contain Radioactive Sludge – Inajima and Shunichi Ozasa
• Financial Times – Tepco faces frantic struggle for survival – Michiyo Nakamoto and Lindsay Whipp
• The Guardian – Japan cabinet approves Fukushima nuclear compensation – Justin McCurry in Tokyo
• Nuclear Engineering – US nuclear groups band together for Fukushima response
• Reuters – Update 1-74 pct of Japanese favour nuclear power phase-out -survey – Linda Sieg and Yoko Kubota
• Reuters – Feature-Radiation ‘hotspots’ hinder Japan response to nuclear crisis – Kevin Krolicki and Kiyoshi Takenaka
• Reuters – Update 4-Tokyo Electric bailout plan approved by cabinet, shares soar – Yoko Kubota and Taiga Uranaka
• Wall Street Journal – Japanese Nuclear Cleanup Workers Detail Lax Safety Practices at Plant – Phred Dvorak (Click thru Google)
• Xinhua News – TEPCO to fully process radioactive water, Japanese gov’t OKs compensation scheme

Monday, June 13, 2011

• TEPCO – Status of TEPCO’s Facilities and its services after the Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake (as of 3:00 PM, June 13)
• Asahi Shimbun – Nuclear plant safety standards rendered useless by quake – Tomooki Yasuda
• Asahi Shimbun – Local officials saying no to restarting nuclear reactors – Susumu Yoshida and Daisuke Nakai
• Daily Yomiuri – Rainy season worries evacuees
• Japan Times – Tokai Big One still tops in speculation – Minoru Matsutani
• Japan Times – Six more Tepco staff exposed beyond limit
• Japan Times – Fukushima set to test water treatment system
• Mainichi Daily News – Victims of triple disasters still face obstacles three months after quake
• Mainichi Daily News – Over half of quake survivors still living in shelters: Mainichi poll
• Mainichi Daily News – TEPCO releases photo showing damage to No. 4 reactor building
• Mainichi Daily News – TEPCO, Tohoku Electric see sharp falls in power generation in May
• Mainichi Daily News – Disposal of nuclear waste should be made a top priority
• Mainichi Daily News – Journalist talks about postquake A-bomb survivors at Iran confab
• Mainichi Daily News – Water treatment system testing at Fukushima plant hits snag again
• Mainichi Daily News – Indonesia, Japan learn from each other over disaster
• Nikkei – Foreigners Shying Away From Japan On Radiation Worries: Poll
• Nikkei – Nuclear Power Utilization Rate Hit 32-Year Low In May
• Nikkei – Fukui Governor: Won’t Approve Restart of Kansai Electric Reactors
• Nikkei – Tepco: Water Treatment Facility Expected To Start Full Operation Around June 17-18
• ABC – Toxic strontium found in Fukushima groundwater – Mark Willacy
• AP Google – 6 more workers may exceed Japan’s radiation limit
• BBC News – Japan’s cabinet approves Tepco compensation scheme
• BBC News – Fukushima plant: Six more workers exposed to radiation
• Bloomberg – Tepco Faces Radioactive Sludge Crisis – Tsuyoshi Inajima and Shunichi Ozasa
• Bloomberg – Japan’s Radiation Sleuths Toil With Borrowed Geiger Counters – Sato, Sachiko Sakamaki and Tsuyoshi Inajima
• The Guardian – Murakami laments Japan’s nuclear policy – Alison Flood
• Nature – Researchers call for nuclear data release – Geoff Brumfiel
• New York Times – In Nuclear Crisis, Crippling Mistrust – Norimitsu Onishi and Martin Fackler
• Reuters – Tokyo Electric compensation plan gets cabinet OK, shares up – Yoko Kubota
• Reuters – Japan cabinet approves Tepco compensation scheme – Yoko Kubota
• Reuters – Tepco says preparing fair and speedy compensation – Chisa Fujioka
• Reuters – Japan says eight nuclear workers over-exposed to radiation – Kevin Krolicki
• World Nuclear News – Cooling fuel pools at Fukushima
• Focus Taiwan – KMT, DPP at odds over bills on nuclear power, China exports
• Focus Taiwan – Former vice president pushes for ‘nuclear-free homeland’ council – Jeffrey Wu
• Focus Taiwan – Budget for 4th nuclear power plant approved amid protests
• Radio Taiwan – Budget needed for nuke plant clears the legislature amid protests
• Taipei Times – Lawmakers pass new nuclear funding – Shih Hsiu-chuan and Lee I-chia
• Taipei Times – Former vice president leads call for nuclear-free policy – Lin Shu-hui