Plant Manager at #Fukushima I NPP on Highly Contaminated Water Routed to Wrong Buildings: "We Will Make Pump Switches Tamper-Proof"

Mr. Akira Ono, current plant manager at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, hasn't struck me as one of the brightest at TEPCO, but his "solution" to the problem defeats the whole purpose of having the temporary pumps in those buildings - which is to make those pumps readily accessible and operational in case of an emergency that necessitates those pumps.

From Reuters Japan (4/17/2014; part):

東電は１４日、汚染水の誤移送を発表したが、その中で通常は「切」にしている移送ポンプの電源が入ったことが直接の原因だと説明した。小野所長は記者団に対し「電源が何らかの形で入ったのは事実。調査を進めて対策を講じる」と述べた。

TEPCO announced on April 14 that contaminated water had been routed to wrong buildings, and explained the cause as the transfer pumps having been turned on. The pumps usually remain "off". Plant Manager Ono told the press that it was true that the pumps had been turned on for some reason, and that TEPCO would investigate and come up with countermeasures.

電源が入ったのが誤操作によるものではなく、故意による可能性も現状では排除できない。小野氏は「故意にでも、いじれないような管理体制にしたい」と述べた。

As it stands, the possibility cannot be excluded that someone had turned on the pumps not by mistake but intentionally. Mr. Ono said he would like to set up a control system whereby no one can tamper with [the pump switches].

Reuters has the English article (4/17/2014) that pretty much covers what Reuters Japan's article covers, but Ono's above comment is missing. Instead, it has Ono's comment that TEPCO has put speed first, instead of quality.

Well, as if it had a choice back in March and April in 2011.

Reuters' English article also translated the following words by Mr. Ono:

「恥ずかしい話。十分に管理できていない」

(My translation would be: "I am ashamed. We haven't been able to sufficiently manage the plant.")

into:

"It's embarrassing to admit, but there are certain parts of the site where we don't have full control," Akira Ono told reporters touring the plant this week.

which is quoted by other US media (including MSNBC), with the emphasis (naturally) on "we don't have full control."

As a Japanese native, I wouldn't have translated Mr. Ono's words that way, but everyone needs extra eyeballs...

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