Mr. John Roos, US Ambassador to Japan, is visiting Fukushima with officials from 30 US companies in decontamination business, promising full cooperation in Fukushima's effort to have the residents come back to their homes in the areas contaminated with radioactive materials from the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident.
He also put in a word that the presence of the US citizens, working on the decontamination projects in Fukushima, will be beneficial as it will appeal to the world that Fukushima is now safe.
It was Mr. Roos who recommended the US citizens in Japan to leave the 50-mile (or 80-kilometer) radius from the plant, right after the accident started on March 11, 2011. But now, the US businessmen can be "safely" in Fukushima. After all, US college kids and high school kids have already been in Fukushima, doing cultural exchange and volunteer cleanup work.
So of course it is safe for adults...
From Fukushima Minpo (6/28/2012; emphasis is mine):
除染業務 米国が全面協力 ルース駐日大使が佐藤知事に約束
US will cooperate in all aspects of decontamination work, US Ambassador to Japan Roos promises Fukushima Governor Sato
米国のルース駐日大使は２７日、県庁で佐藤雄平知事と懇談し、米国の技術を生かし、除染事業に全面協力する考えを示した。米国の除染関係企業３０社の関係者が一緒に訪れた。
US Ambassador to Japan Roos met with Fukushima Governor Yuhei Sato on June 27 at the Fukushima prefectural government office, and told him that the US will cooperate in all aspects of decontamination work utilizing the US technologies. Officials from 30 US companies in decontamination businesses accompanied Ambassador Roos.
ルース大使は「米国は除染分野で最先端の技術を有しており、福島が抱える問題を解決するパートナーになれる。ここにいる人たちも福島のために何かできないか考えている」と述べた。さらに「米国民が福島に居ることで、全世界に（福島が）安全な場所であることをアピールできる」と語った。
Ambassador Roos said, "The US possesses the cutting-edge technologies in decontamination, and can be a good partner to solve problems that Fukushima faces. All these people here [probably referring to the businessmen who accompanied him] are also thinking of what they can do to help Fukushima." He further said, "By having the US citizens in Fukushima, we can appeal to the entire world that [Fukushima] is safe."
佐藤知事は東日本大震災後の米国からの支援に感謝した上で「県民の帰還を進める上で除染は大きな課題。今回の来県を通して技術を高めてほしい」と期待を寄せた。
Governor Sato thanked the ambassador for the help from the US after the March 11, 2011 earthquake/tsunami, and said "Decontamination is a huge task as we proceed on having the residents return home. I hope the visit to Fukushima this time will [further?] enhance your [decontamination] technologies."
一行は、福島市の杉妻会館で県と福島市の担当者から県内の除染の現状や進捗（しんちょく）状況の説明を受けた。
引き続き、福島市の南向台、大波両地区と伊達市の除染現場を視察した。
The group was briefed on the progress of decontamination work in the prefecture by the officials from the prefectural government and the Fukushima City government in Sugitsuma Kaikan [conference center and lodge run by the Fukushima prefectural government] in Fukushima City. Afterwards, they visited the decontamination sites in Nankodai and Onami Districts in Fukushima City and in Date City.
Ambassador Roos visited Fukushima in January this year, and spent more than one hour talking to residents from Okuma-machi in their temporary housing in Iwaki City. That's much more than most Japanese government politicians have done.
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28 comments:
If he is visiting Fukushima today then he probably felt the 5.2 (Japanese magnitude) earthquake that occurred very close to the plant. Ground motion was up to 4.0 near the plant. You can see the motion on the link below. Time of quake was 14:52 JST. Also note a bright flash occurred over the plant at 14:54 JST. Checked the weather and no lightning was near Fukushima.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcegvZsP3PA&list=UUDu1KkkwuzybKx6MXQgGHuw&index=1&feature=plcp
Ladies and gentlemen! This is not your captain speaking because we are now in charge of this plane. There is a change of flight plan. We will now try and crash into those skyscrapers you see when you look out the window.
Don't worry about a thing! Our presence here on the plane is proof that it is completely safe.
Roos. He was a lawyer before becoming the US ambassador wasn't he?
'nuff said.
Will they being trying to decontaminate forever? You do not have to be sharpest tool to figure out it will just become contaminated again as nothing is over. You do have to be a tool to be Mr Roos though. Bought and paid for.
John Roos graduaded Phi Beta Kappa with honors and distinction from Stanford University. You may not think much of his politics, but he is a highly intelligent person, with a distinguished track record of public service. But why bother with education and intellect when we can pore over videos and fret about "flashing lights".
As if America has done such a great job with its "cutting edge technology" on its own nuclear contaminated sites (national sacrifice zones) that may never be properly decontaminated: Los Alamos, Rocky Flats, Hanford, Idaho Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore Lab, Simi Valley, Oak Ridge.... See this report from 1988! http://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/31/us/dying-nuclear-plants-give-birth-to-new-problems.html
@anon 6:08, do you know how many people have graduated from esteemed schools in Japan and are running this country into default? They are all Roos. Education does not equate intelligence. One must take an education and critically think for oneself while applying it. If not, just a piece a paper. Anyone that wants to state Fukushima is safe needs to go live there with their family for at least 5 years and report back before they open their mouths.
Insulting to Japan and the world. Need a million protesters to stop nuclear once and for all in Japan. They will poison your land, farms, forests, water, food children and future generations. Time to WAKE UP!
Yeah, just as the presence of the U.S. in Syria, Iraq, etc. makes us feel that they are safe...
It's because the tech is used irresponsibly in the first place that this happened, and it's hardly safe to finally accept help to clean-up a disaster over a year after it happened.
@Anonymous 6:08AM
Chibaguy already said enough, but I feel I also have to add my two cents and express my disgust at the ignorance of your comment, and your poor attempt to insinuate that anyone concerned over the nuclear disaster in Japan is a "conspiracy theorist". According to your brilliant mind, factual evidence of widespread radioactive contamination in food, environment and many other aspects of daily life is simply a matter of "flashing lights". I suppose Chernobyl is just "flashing lights", too? You may want to take your education and learn to watch some documentaries on that, and Fukushima too.
I've yet to meet a graduate who is truly intelligent. Doing well in studying just seems to mean that they're good at bending over and sucking up, always doing as they're told with no room to think for themselves. They think they know everything, when in actuality they know nothing. But they can spew out whatever nonsense they like and people like you will believe, justify and defend their empty words based solely on their qualifications.
I also get the impression that many of those people cheat to get where they are. Ever wondered if the people you hold in such high esteem were just a bunch of manipulative, lying cheaters? No, you wouldn't even want to consider the possibility. Don't want to shatter your beliefs, do you?
More importantly, I don't see the relevancy of defending Roos based on his academic achievements. You're basically saying a random graduate of any subject from any country can seriously comment on Fukushima without knowing anything about it, and we should trust them because they're a graduate.
Ironically, it'd make a hell of a lot more sense to trust a random no-qualification worker who has been to and seen the plant inside-out, worked there and knows the actual situation.
But I guess this kind of logic is beyond someone who worships education systems as if they bestow omni-potence amongst its most celebrated graduates. Just keep pointing the finger of "conspiracy theorist" at everyone who questions your ignorant beliefs.
By the way, I know you didn't use the words "conspiracy theorist" but you may want to look up the word "conspiracy" in a dictionary and ask yourself if the concept of people collaborating to achieve a common goal still sounds like the delusions of an unqualified lunatic.
Why doesn't he back up these claims by moving his wife and daughter there to live? Yeah, I did not think so.
A strange premonition on 3/10/2011, a feeling of uneasy while listening to the song "Brothers in Arms" being performed by Celtic Thunder on television. The lyrics are powerful still.
Good news..all those US Citizens can expect to have health insurance when they return to the USA sick with radiation caused disease. OBAMACARE!
anon @ 8:21
Your disgust is noted. Meanwhile, you've attempted to put words into my mouth, and you've jumped to ridiculous conclusions. The original claim was that John Roos was a "tool" and that his being a lawyer was presumably sufficient evidence to, what, discount any claims he might make or imply (?). I pointed out that he was an extremely intelligent man. Which, he is.
The rest of your highly emotional and inflammatory attack on me is surplus to requirements. However, I did find your anti-education stance to be highly illuminating. Like a flash of light, you might say.
@Chibaguy
No, I do not know how many people have graduated from esteemed schools in Japan and are running this country into default. I was not aware that they are all Roos.
As to the requirement that "Anyone that wants to state Fukushima is safe needs to go live there with their family for at least 5 years and report back before they open their mouths"... I must say I was unaware of this condition as well. I've learned so much today.
Anon above, most of the people who visit and comment on this blog are not the kind who fret over flash of light at Fuku-I plant. Those go elsewhere. So, using the sarcasm to insult people here doesn't quite work.
Japanese politicians and industry big shots were rather dismayed, because they perceived the appointment as insult. US Ambassadors to Japan had always been high-ranking diplomats or former senior politicians of status.
I didn't think much of Ambassador Roos at first, partly because the appointment was a reward for being a very good bundler of campaign donations for Obama.
He's a suit, he's mentally defficient, he's a liar and a child killer and he proved it, enjoy.
Make sure you hold him in high esteem and tread him like a treasuered guest/royalty.
You might want to achieve proper cold shutdown before you begin to pointlessly decontaminate.
So the US is going to help decontaminate Fukushima for free? Or is the ambassador representing US business when he travels to Fukushima?
Well the flash of light after the earthquake was also accompanied by a spike in radiation one hour later in a surrounding community. What good is that education and experience if you place yourself near a nuclear power plant with three melted down reactors during an earthquake ?
Don't be harsh on Ambassador Roos. He's just doing what he has been ordered to do by his boss and his boss's boss.
Anon 4:50 Could you mention where tbe spike occourred and who measured it?
Japan is on the verge of a revolution. The Japanese government's failure to listen to the peoples' demands for an end to nuclear power is creating the biggest political change in Japan's post-war history. People are teaching their children to question authority and to actively hold their government accountable. They are taking to the street in record numbers to protest, but Noda and the DPJ are ignoring them.
Against this backdrop, an experienced career diplomat and statesman would be advising Noda how to preserve peoples' faith in the government and prevent an all-out revolution.
Instead, Roos seems focused on winning a few decontamination contracts for Obama donors from the US.
He should be replaced now. US needs someone in Japan who can provide the Japanese government advice on leading, advice on democracy, advice on regaining the trust of the public, and advice on preventing an overthrow.
Roos must go.
US should have a senior statesman in this job right now.
Roos is in over his head.
Anon at 3:22PM, I still say Roos is doing exactly what Obama wants.
O'Bummer doesn't care. He's busy personally picking out drone targets in Yemen.
It is only amount Money $$$$$$$$$! USA CORPORATES SEEKING PROFIT!
"He also put in a word that the presence of the US citizens, working on the decontamination projects in Fukushima, will be beneficial as it will appeal[appear?] to the world that Fukushima is now safe."
I have no prior knowledge of or about Roos, but for this kind of thinking alone he just made it on my ever-lengthening sh*t list. US presence somewhere is meaningless and certainly no measurement for the level of safety of a location. More importantly, the last thing Japan and the World need are make-belief appearances!
Make-belief appearances are all they want - Noda, Obama, Legarde, Merkel, Monti, and on and on, the world over.
@ laprimavera at 12:00:
Agree. And as I should have added to my previous comment, appearance is exactly what has gotten us to the point we're at: We're paying for generations to come with our livelihoods and even lives for the NPPs that APPEARED to be safe and cheap, but really weren't.
But, of course, I'm preaching to the choir here ...
*mscharisma*
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