#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: METI's Kaieda May Be Open to the Idea of Shutting Down the Plant

So the Japanese government was thinking (probably still is thinking?) all along that those Reactors at Fukushima I Nuclear Plant could be somehow resuscitated?

Extend and Pretend, supremo, borderline delusional.

Mainichi Shinbun (in Japanese; 12:50AM JST 3/20/2011) reports:

Banri Kaieda, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, disclosed during the March 19 press conference that his Ministry was urged by the mayor of Koriyama City in Fukushima Prefecture that the government and TEPCO plan for eventual abandonment of the plant. When asked about his opinion on abandoning the plant, he answered "Do you think the plant is in a condition to resume operation? There's no one right now who thinks that way," indicating the possibility of abandonment.

Hmmm. Was that even a question?

When asked about the call for emergency halt of Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant (operated by Chubu Electric Power Company) in Shizuoka Prefecture, which would be hit hard if a strong earthquake occurs as has been anticipated, Kaieda answered "We are trying to bring gas/petroleum power generation plants back online, but there is not enough supply and we have to avoid large-scale blackout."

Another fine bureaucratic speech. Get it? He was asked about Hamaoka Nuke Plant, and he answered by talking about how inadequate the power generation by burning gas and oil is. In essence, he's saying no way to the call for halting Hamaoka Nuke Plant, but never say never, or he may regret later.

Mr. Kaieda was famous for his books on how to get rich by investing in risky assets during Japan's bubble era in 1980s.

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