Duh.
Relying on government officials in an emergency may be hazardous to your health and well-being.
Nagaoka City, where the drill was carried out, is located in Niigata Prefecture, close to Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP. Good luck residents, because the governor of Niigata has declared he won't allow venting in a severe nuclear accident, even if it's the filtered vent, unless the municipalities and supposedly he himself approve.
NHK World (10/13/2013; emphasis is mine):
Nuclear disaster drill uses wind direction data
The Japanese city of Nagaoka has held a rather unusual evacuation drill for a nuclear disaster. The participants used data on wind direction to avoid exposure to radiation.
About 6,400 residents living close to the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power plant in Nagaoka City took part in Sunday's drill.
Officials of the city's taskforce studied forecasts that said winds would blow to the southeast. They ordered the residents to escape to one of 3 evacuation centers not located on the downwind side.
But winds were observed blowing northward at an observation point in the middle of the city for about 30 minutes while the residents were on their way to the center in a bus.
This means the residents evacuated to a place relatively close to the direction in which radioactive materials were presumed to be spreading from the plant.
A city official in charge of nuclear safety, Yoichi Kojima, says he hopes to find ways to quickly determine escape routes while gauging the wind direction.
Tokyo Electric Power Company applied in September for safety screening of 2 of the idle reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant.
At present, all of Japan's 50 nuclear reactors have been taken offline, mostly for inspections.
(H/T Enformable)
30-Day free trial by following the link.
Tokyo Time
![[Most Recent Quotes from www.kitco.com]](http://www.kitconet.com/charts/metals/gold/t24_au_en_usoz_2.gif)
6 comments:
Nice propaganda bit from NHK.
"mostly for inspections" gives the impression that most reactors were undamaged by the earthquake. In reality Fuku 1 (6 reactors), Fuku 2 (4 reactors), Higashidori (1), Onagawa (3) are offline as a result of the earthquake. 50-14=36 so "mostly" is formally correct, formally.
NHK-san, what is news here? Is it more relevant that the drill used wind data (as stated in the title), or that it failed to make good use of the same data?
Furthermore, according to mr. Kojima words, it may be that by the time city officials determined the escape route the wind had changed. Well, I guess wind does change direction from time to time...
During a meeting with Tepco president mr. Hirose, mr. Izumi stated that even after filtering the gases vented out are still harmful. Mr. Hirose did not oppose Izumi statement.
Venting might be better than not venting, filtering the vented gases might be better than not filtering but not having to vent is best.
The only way to make sure you do not have to vent and you do not have to evacuate is not to restart the nuclear pressure cookers.
This reminds me of how during 3/11, villagers who were denied information of the situation (thanks to the government) desperately chose to evacuate in a direction that ultimately turned out to be exactly where the wind was blowing all the radiation.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The governor of Niigata should simply declare, that he won't allow nuclear accidents. Problem solved.
That would be easy: just do not allow the pressure cookers to be restarted.
Post a Comment