CNIC Statement re the Nuclear and Earthquake Disaster Unfolding in Japan

Statement re the Nuclear and Earthquake Disaster Unfolding in Japan

The Citizens' Nuclear Information Center (CNIC) is deeply concerned for the health and safety of the people affected by the earthquakes and tsunamis that have struck Japan over the last two days. We are particularly concerned for the people in the vicinity of nuclear power plants, including workers who are trying to minimize the scope of the disaster.

Unit 1 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is in a state of meltdown. A nuclear disaster which the promoters of nuclear power in Japan said wouldn't happen is in progress. It is occurring as a result of an earthquake that they said would not happen.

This could and should have been predicted. It was predicted by scientists and NGOs such as CNIC. We warned that Japan's nuclear power plants could be subjected to much stronger earthquakes and much bigger tsunamis than they were designed to withstand.

Besides the question about how this accident will unfold, the big question now is, will the government and the nuclear industry acknowledge its mistakes and change track?

Last December the Japanese government began a review of its nuclear energy policy. The review was commenced in the spirit of essentially confirming the existing policy. That approach is no longer viable. The direction of the policy review must be completely reversed. It must be redirected towards developing a policy of phasing out nuclear energy as smoothly and swiftly as possible.

Philip White
International Liaison Officer
Citizens' Nuclear Information Center
Phone: 81-3-3357-3800 (office)
Phone: 81-3-3708-2898 (home)
Web (will be update on Monday):
http://cnic.jp/english/

Before and after photos of exploded reactor containment building in Japan

Japanese newscast showing atomic reactor explosion

Aileen Mioko Smith of Green Action Japan has shared with us this You Tube link of a Japanese news cast showing the atomic reactor explosion from various angles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMEV-_X5b_8. It goes on for two minutes, showing the explosion over and over from various angles, with commentary in Japanese language.

HUGE EXPLOSION AT FUKUSHIMA DAI-ICHI

4:06 AM  March 12

Multiple news reports and videos are now confirming that a huge explosion has occurred at Fukushima Dai-ichi Unit 1.

The long distance video above shows a highly energetic explosion and immense cloud. Other sources are reporting that the walls and roof of the Unit 1 reactor building of the six unit site are completely gone, only portions of the steel superstructure remain. Japanese nuclear officials say the reports are under investigation.

Fukushima Dai-ichi Unit 2 and three additional units at the Fukushima Diani nuclear power plant site are struggling to maintain power to cooling systems. The government is advising an expanded evacuation out to 10 kilometers around the site and "Close your windows," "If you have to go outside, when you come back inside, take off your clothes, wash your hands, take a shower," and "Stay calm."

The English text of Japan's first ever nuclear emergency declaration

Posted at the Prime Minister's website many hours ago: http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/topics/2011/20110311Nuclear_Emergency.pdf

The situation has grown much more dire in the intervening hours, and assurances of no radioactivity releases have no longer held for many long hours, as radioactive steam releases to the environment have been intentionally carried out in order to prevent a catastrophic failure of the badly designed and structurally weak General Electric Boiling Water Reactor Mark I containment building implicated in the crisis. If the containment structure fails, radioactivity releases would significantly increase.