Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Falsification in Vogue: Niigata Prefecture Lied about Potassium Iodide Pill Purchase, Received Government Subsidy for Non-Purchase


(UPDATE) Asahi Shinbun did an interview with Mr. Izumida (in Japanese, and in English translation, 4/23/2014). He laments there is no "world-class standard" in Japanese nuclear regulation and nuclear accident preparedness. He got that right. No mention of potassium iodide pills that didn't exist but were stored in a former high school building.

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It's ironic that it happened in a prefecture whose governor, Hirohiko Izumida, has won wide followings at least among net users by presenting himself as the champion and defender of citizens against evil TEPCO over Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant.

Izumida's government did not purchase potassium iodide pills and lied about it, and received the national government subsidy for the non-existent pills.

Well, since Mr. Izumida does not want to allow TEPCO to vent even in a severe nuclear accident at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, who needs those pills? Right?

From Kyodo News (4/22/2014):

30キロ圏内、ヨウ素剤ゼロ 柏崎刈羽、購入済み装う

No potassium iodide pills inside 30-kilometer radius of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP, [Niigata prefectural government] pretended they had purchased the pills

新潟県は22日、東京電力柏崎刈羽原発(同県)の過酷事故に備え、2012年度中に同原発から10~30キロ圏の住民向けに配備予定だった安定ヨウ素剤約132万錠を、購入しないまま放置していたと発表した。

Niigata prefectural government announced on April 22 that 1.32 million potassium iodide pills to be distributed to residents during the fiscal 2012 [that ended in March 31, 2013] in areas within 10 to 30 kilometer from TEPCO Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant (in Niigata Prefecture) in preparation for a severe accident hadn't been purchased.

期限の13年3月末までに調達できるめどがたたず、担当職員が手続きを中断。書類に「購入済み」と記入したため、周囲もチェックできず、国の交付金約800万円が支払われていた。

The government employee in charge stopped the purchasing process when there was no prospect of procuring the pills by the end of March in 2013. The employee wrote "already purchased" in the document, and no one verified it. The subsidy of about 8 million yen (US$80,000) from the national government was paid based on the document.

購入予定だったヨウ素剤は、防災用倉庫として使っている旧興農館高校(新潟市)に配備したとして、事務処理されていた。県医務薬事課は「速やかに調達したい」としている。

The [phantom] potassium iodide pills that were supposed to have been purchased were "stored" at a former high school building in Niigata City which is now used as a disaster prevention warehouse, according to the paperwork. The medical and pharmaceutical section of the prefectural government says they intend to procure as quickly as possible.


Like that 30-year-old so-called researcher, this hapless government employee should have held a press conference and declared,

"Potassium iodide pills exist! Potassium iodide pills are the truth! I have seen them 200 times!"

and all would have been forgiven.

With teary eyes of course. Water-proof mascara and eyeliner, if available.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Japan couldn't afford to build enough jails to imprison these fuckwits, so... Instead they put them all in elected office and civil service!

Take those with the lowest moral and ethical values and place them at the 'top of the tree' as a shining example to everyone. Brilliant thinking!

Anonymous said...

He he he, a pet hate ?
She deserves it, anyway.
Phiphi.

Anonymous said...

These "fuckwits" are strongly inspired by their American co-conspirators in the state of Washington.
The Columbia Basin's irrigation "Project" feeds the Japanese's cattle, they train their aviators in the state of Washington, and their handling of downwinders could not be more inspired than the state of Washington's.

A River Lost
Blaine Harden

Joffan said...

Will Izumida be repaying the 8 million yen of subsidy? Will his "good-guy" crown shine less brightly?

Not that the subsidy made any sense anyway, for a year when the KK nuclear plant wasn't operating. In one sense Niigata purchased exactly the right number of iodine pills for that period.

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