#Nuclear Japan: Fukui Prefecture Handed the Blacked-Out SPEEDI Simulation Map to Green Peace Japan to "Show" the Effect of Release of Radioactive Iodine in a Severe Accident at Ooi Nuke Plant

(If you can see it, that is.)

If you think TEPCO was hiding something when the company first produced the document that was almost completely blacked out to the Diet Independent Investigation Commission back in September last year, wait till you see this map.

It's a SPEEDI simulation map, done at the request from Shiga Prefecture to assess the risk of a severe accident at Ooi Nuclear Power Plant and shared with Fukui Prefecture, where Ooi Nuclear Power Plant is located. Shiga Prefecture is downwind from Ooi Nuclear Power Plant. Green Peace Japan requested the map from Fukui Prefecture under the freedom of information request, and this is what the Fukui prefectural government gave to Green Peace on May 9, 2012.

The map is blacked out except for Shiga Prefecture, the prefecture who originally requested the SPEEDI simulation, even though Green Peace's request was for the SPEEDI map that shows Fukui Prefecture, which is located to the west of Shiga. The map is supposed to show, in different colors, the dose equivalent at thyroid for Fukui Prefecture in case of a severe accident at Ooi Nuclear Power Plant that would release a huge amount of radioactive materials including iodine-131.

From Green Peace Japan's post on June 19, 2012, soon after the government decided to restart Ooi Nuclear Power Plant:

This is the map that the Fukui prefectural government disclosed to the Fukui residents: a blacked-out map that doesn't even show Fukui Prefecture.

Why?

Green Peace Japan's page has the scanned document from Fukui Prefecture that gives the reason for the blackout:

滋賀県および福井県が行う防災対策に係る事務に関する情報であって、公にすることにより、当該事務の適正な遂行に支障を及ぼすおそれがあるため

It is the information that has to do with the disaster response measures to be undertaken by Shiga Prefecture and Fukui Prefecture, and there is a possibility that the proper execution of the measures may be hindered by making the information public.

Alright then, Fukui Prefecture must at least have such countermeasures in place for a "severe accident" like it happened at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, correct? No, says Green Peace and Fukui Prefecture. In another document on the site, Fukui Prefecture says:

Since we haven't done the simulation of a "severe accident" that releases iodine-131 at 10^16 to 10^17 becquerels/hour, there is no information to disclose.

So what DID the Fukui prefectural government do? Tokyo Shinbun in June this year had this article (I don't know the exact date, but it is about Green Peace Japan's freedom of information request to Fukui Prefecture.) The article says, toward the end:

In the fiscal 2011, Ministry of Education and Science gave Fukui Prefecture 24 SPEEDI simulation maps each for Ooi Nuclear Power Plant and Mihama Nuclear Power Plant. The amount of radioactive material release that Fukui Prefecture set for the SPEEDI simulation calculation was the same as before the Fukushima accident, about one-millionth of the amount of iodine-131 released per hour at Fukushima.

So, the Noda administration lied through their collective teeth when Prime Minister Noda and top ministers said Ooi Nuclear Power Plant and KEPCO could easily deal with an accident similar to the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident. The Fukushima accident was a "severe accident", but they didn't even do the severe accident simulation for Ooi Nuclear Power Plant. How would they know that they could easily deal with a severe accident they didn't even plan for?

PM Noda said again and again that he would be personally responsible for the safe operation of Ooi Nuclear Power Plant. Now, I can only take it to mean that he is responsible as long as the plant operates safely, but he is not responsible if the plant doesn't operate safely.

But this map really takes the cake. Move on, nothing to see here, literally.

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Protest On-Going for 10 Hours in Front of Ooi Nuke Plant Entrance

(UPDATE on my latest post)

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It's raining there. But a group of protesters against the restart of the plant has been facing the Fukui riot police in front of the entrance gate.

Yasumi Iwakami's IWJ crew has been there from the beginning, netcasting on their USTREAM channel. Right now, the protesters are drumming and shouting "Saikado Hantai (no to restart)".

Over 79,000 people have checked in to view the live video so far, and over 3,000 currently watching:

Live video from your iPhone using Ustream

Earlier photos from Ryusaku Tanaka's website, protest on June 30:

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4,000 Protest Against Ooi Nuke Plant Restart in Front of Fukui Prefectural Governmet Bldg

It is a huge number for a place like Fukui, where Ooi Nuclear Power Plant is located. The organizers say there are about 4,000 people gathered.

Photo posted by @FumikoKawazoe on Twitter:

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The Farce to Restart Ooi Nuke Plant Proceeds, All-Clear Expected on June 15

The farcical official ceremony to restart a nuclear power plant that does not have an earthquake-proof building like Fukushima I Nuke Plant and which possibly sits on top of an active fault or two on the coast of Fukui Prefecture continues, in complete disregard for the "small people".

From Jiji Tsushin (6/14/2012), we learn that:

• Fukui Prefectural Assembly met on June 14, and the whole assembly (except for the Japan Communist Party members and unaffiliated members) deferred to the governor of Fukui Issei Nishikawa to make the final decision of the restart.

• Ooi-cho's Mayor Shinobu Tokioka agreed to the restart, and cited 5 (non-)reasons why he was in favor of the restart to the municipal assembly. They were 1) Prime Mnister Noda made a speech to the citizens of Japan about the necessity of the Ooi restart; 2) Experts in the prefecture said it would be safe; 3) There would be a special surveillance system; 4) The Ooi-cho assembly had agreed to the restart; 5) His town had a responsibility to provide electricity to Kansai Region.

According to the same Jiji Tsushin news, the next stage of the ceremony will include:

1. The governor of Fukui will ceremoniously confer with the mayor of Ooi-cho, to confirm the mayor's intention of the plant restart.

2. The governor will then seek further assurance for safety from KEPCO.

3. KEPCO will tell the governor the plant will be safe.

4. The governor will tell the national government that he will agree to the restart.

5. The prime minister will declare the restart. [Remember, he is restarting the plant for the sake of the Japanese citizens.]

So the grand finale will be on Friday, June 15, right before Noda departs for Mexico for the G20 meeting, whether the residents of Japan like it or not.

As a gesture to further placate the unreasonable citizenry who demand no nuclear plant restart, the Diet will pass a legislation, also on June 15, which was concocted behind the closed door by the non-official officials of the leading parties (DPJ, LDP and Komei Party). The legislation will create a new government council on nuclear disaster prevention whose members will include all the cabinet ministers.

Also from Jiji Tsushin (6/14/2012):

「原子力防災会議」創設＝規制組織法案で最終合意－民自公

DPJ, LDP, Komei agreed on the legislation on nuclear regulatory organizations that would newly create "Nuclear Disaster Prevention Council"

民主、自民、公明３党は１４日、原子力安全行政を担う新組織設置の関連法案をめぐる協議で最終合意した。原発事故に関する平時の防災体制として、首相を議長とし全閣僚らで構成する「原子力防災会議」を創設する。最終合意を受け、同法案は議員立法で１５日にも衆院を通過、今国会で成立する見通しだ。

On June 14, DPJ, LDP, Komei came to the final agreement on the legislation to create the new organizations in charge of nuclear safety. As the nuclear disaster prevention organization in peacetime, "Nuclear Disaster Prevention Council" will be newly created, with the prime minister at its head and made up of all the cabinet ministers. Now that the parties have agreed, it will be proposed as "legislation by Diet members" and is expected to pass the Lower House on June 15.

原子力防災会議の創設は、民主党の仙谷由人政調会長代行、自民党の林芳正政調会長代理、公明党の斉藤鉄夫幹事長代行が１４日、国会内で協議して合意した。

Creation of the Council was discussed and agreed on by DPJ's Yoshito Sengoku (Acting chairman of the Policy Research Council), LDP's Yoshimasa Hayashi (Acting chairman of the Policy Research Council), and Komei's Tetsuo Saito (Acting Chief Secretary) inside the Diet building on June 14.

Ummm. The government had a similar committee already at the time of the Fukushima I Nuke Plant accident. It miserably failed. So what do the true-blue politicians do? Do it again of course. Maybe the next time will be different!

If you are in Tokyo or Osaka on June 15, you can join the demonstrations at the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Tokyo) or KEPCO's headquarters (Osaka City) at 6PM. For more, see my previous post.

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Prime Minister Noda to Give a Press Conference to Convince People in Japan That Nuclear Energy Is Essential for Japan

It's all part of a ceremony (absolutely nothing more) to restart Ooi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui Prefecture before the summer peak season starts. The power that be in Japan, whether they are politicians or industry big shots, do not want the situation where there is no nuclear power plant operating and there is no shortage of electricity.

So, the ceremony goes like this:

1. Governor of Fukui Kazumi (Issei) Nishikawa, who was a career bureaucrat in the national government, wants Prime Minister Noda to explain to the Japanese that nuclear power is indispensable to Japan, as the condition for agreeing to restart Ooi Nuclear Power Plant.

2. Prime Minister Noda gives a speech saying nuclear power is indispensable to Japan.

3. Governor Nishikawa listens to the speech, and is satisfied that the speech is good. He agrees to the restart, and makes necessary steps in his government for the restart.

4. Prime Minister, on receiving the news that Governor Nishikawa is now satisfied, convenes a ministerial meeting with Edano, Hosono, Fujimura (and Sengoku in the background), and make a political decision to restart the plant, upon his "responsibility" (whatever that means).

From Yomiuri Shinbun (6/8/2012):

大飯再稼働、首相が会見で説明へ

Restart of Ooi Nuke Plant to be explained by Prime Minister in a press conference

野田首相は７日、関西電力大飯原子力発電所３、４号機（福井県おおい町）の再稼働に向け、日本のエネルギー政策に原子力発電が必要であることを国民に説明するため、記者会見を行う方向で最終調整に入った。

Prime Minister Noda was making the final arrangement on June 7 for a press conference to explain to the citizens in Japan that nuclear power generation is necessary for Japan's energy policy. The press conference is part of the government effort to restart Reactors 3 and 4 at Ooi Nuclear Power Plant operated by Kansai Electric (KEPCO) (in Ooi-cho, Fukui Prefecture).

福井県の西川一誠知事が再稼働に同意する条件として、原発の必要性に関する国民への説明を要求しているため、首相は応じることにした。

Governor Issei Nishikawa of Fukui Prefecture is demanding that the prime minister explain to the citizens of Japan about the need for nuclear power plants, as a condition to agreeing to restart the Ooi plant.

西川知事は、記者会見での首相の説明ぶりに納得できれば、県として再稼働に同意する手続きを行うとしている。首相は同意を得た後に速やかに関係閣僚との会合を開き、再稼働を最終判断する方針だ。

Governor Nishikawa has said that his prefectural government will proceed with steps to restart the plant if he is satisfied with the way Prime Minister Noda explains during the press conference. After obtaining the governor's consent, Prime Minister Noda is to convene a ministerial meeting right away to make the final decision on the restart of the plant.

政府内では「首相がこれまでの記者会見などで必要性を説明している」として記者会見に否定的な意見が強かったが、首相は７日に首相官邸で枝野経済産業相らと協議した結果、知事の求めに応じなければ再稼働時期が遅れると判断した。

Within the administration, there were many who were against such a press conference as "the prime minister has already explained the necessity [of nuclear power] in the previous press conferences". However, after conferring with people including Minister of Economy Edano at the Prime Minister's Official Residence on June 7, Noda decided that unless he responded to the Fukui governor's request, the timing for the restart would be delayed.

Governor Nishikawa seems to think that having PM Noda speak about nuclear power will convince the Japanese citizens of the need to restart one of many nuclear power plants in his prefecture, according to NHK news on 6/4/2012. Governor Nishikawa knows, however, that for him to say so is part of the ceremony, and one convenient way to evade whatever responsibility in case of an accident.

The press conference is supposed to be in the evening of June 8, 2012.

Meanwhile, 70 women including those from Fukushima Prefecture did a "die-in" on June 7 in front of the Prime Minister's Official Residence in protest against the restart of Ooi Nuclear Power Plant, according to Tokyo Shinbun (6/8/2012 morning edition)

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Ooi Nuke Plant Restart: Edano, Hosono, and Kingmaker Sengoku Arrive in Fukui Prefecture

They will speak with the governor of Fukui, and after some token "negotiation" the governor will give a go sign to restart Ooi Nuclear Power Plant as the national government says it will be somehow "responsible". Fukui Governor Nishikawa always wanted the extension of Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train) to Fukui. Give and take, the traditional Japanese way.

Just when Edano was in Fukui the last time, the police is there to protect the power that be. At least they are protecting human beings (no matter how depraved); the police in Kitakyushu City was protecting the disaster debris against residents.

The photo is from NATER from Fukui. The sign says "We're Against the Restart!":

By the way, even if the plant is restarted, the utility company Kansai Electric may still do the rolling blackouts anyway, according to the latest.

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Anti Nuke Protesters Against the Restart of Ooi Nuke Plant in Front of Fukui Pref. Government Bldg, Police Trying to Block Them

Why? Because Yukio Edano is in the building, meeting with the Fukui governor and his officials for the re-start of the plant.

Yasumi Iwakami's IWJ USTREAM (live):

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/iwj-fukui1#utm_campaign=ss-post-backlink&utm_source=8481496&utm_medium=social

Tweets from Japan say they are even blocking the reporters from other parts of Japan, magazines, newspapers, from the press conference.

They also say Edano entered from the back entrance. People are shouting at the stone-faced officials.

Young policemen standing there, guarding the entrance look sad.

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NPO in Fukui Selling Buddhist Rosaries and Bracelets Made of Rikuzen Takata Pine

whose bark was found with 1,130 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium.

From Yomiuri Shinbun (12:59AM JST 8/23/2011):

「京都五山送り火」用の薪(まき)から放射性セシウムが検出され、岩手県陸前高田市の被災松を使った薪の販売を中止した福井県坂井市のＮＰＯ法人「ふくい災害ボランティアネット」が、セシウム不検出だった幹の中心部分を加工した念珠とブレスレットの販売を続けている。

A Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture-based NPO "Fukui Disaster Volunteer Net" has been selling the Buddhist rosaries and bracelets made out of the core of the trunk of the pine trees that was felled in the March 11 disaster in Rikuzen Takat City in Iwate Prefecture. The firewood made out of those pine trees was to be used at "Gozan no Okuribi" in Kyoto, but radioactive materials were detected [from the bark of the wood]. There was no radioactive cesium detected from the core.

　東角操代表は「安全な部分を使ってしっかり復興支援をしたい」と話す。

Misao Higashikado of "Fukui Disaster Volunteer Net" says his organization wants to support the recovery by [commemorating the disaster] using the safe part of the wood.

　「震災の記憶を風化させないように」との願いを込め、玉の一つに「３・１１」と刻んだ。７月下旬にインターネットで通信販売を始め、今月１６日の送り火の後、茨城大に検査を依頼したところ、幹の部分からはセシウムは検出されなかった。

One bead of the rosary/bracelet is engraved with "3.11", so that the memory of the disaster does not fade away. The NPO started to sell the rosaries/bracelets on the internet in late July. After the "Okuribi" on August 16, the NPO asked Ibaraki University to test for radiation, but there was no radioactive cesium detected from the trunk of the tree.

　念珠は３０００円、ブレスレットが１８００円。

A Buddhist rosary sells for 3,000 yen (US$39), and a bracelet sells for 1,800 yen (US$23).

　同ネットのホームページ（http://www.fukkou.org/contact-us/tyumon）で購入できる。

You can buy them at the website of the NPO "Fukui Disaster Volunteer Net", at http://www.fukkou.org/contact-us/tyumon

Disaster capitalism alive and well.

Oh wait, it is not really a capitalism. It's done by an NPO, non-profit organization. I should say "social entrepreneurism", then I'm totally politically correct.

(An NPO in Fukui Prefecture asking the university in Ibaraki Prefecture for testing? That's rather far, far away.)

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Japan's Minister of Education Visits Monju, Says Fast Breeder Is Necessary for Japan

Minister of Education and Science Yoshiaki Takagi, a former union official at a shipyard in Nagasaki before he ran for office, visited Monju, the troubled fast breeder reactor in Tsuruga City in Fukui Prefecture where Governor Nishikawa may be jockeying for an advantageous position vis a vis the national government on the Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train) project and opposing the re-start of the reactors in his prefecture.

From Nikkei Shinbun (8/3/2011):

高木義明文部科学相は３日、高速増殖炉「もんじゅ」（福井県敦賀市）を視察し、東京電力福島第１原発の事故を踏まえた安全対策の実施状況を確認した。

Minister of Education and Science Yoshiaki Takagi visited Fast Breeder Reactor "Monju" in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture to be briefed on the implementation of safety measures after the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident.

　視察後に記者団の取材に応じた高木文科相は、「ウラン燃料を有効に使い、廃棄物をより少なくする研究開発は資源の乏しい日本に適している」と高速増殖炉開発の意義を強調した。一方で今後の開発方針は「政府のエネルギー・環境会議で、再生可能エネルギーの普及状況などをしっかり議論をする中で方向性が出てくる」と明言を避けた。

After the visit, the minister gave comments to the press, "Research and development to find ways to use uranium fuel more effectively and to reduce nuclear waste is a natural fit for Japan, which has scarce natural resources", emphasizing the importance of developing a fast breeder reactor. However, he avoided specifics of the future development policy and said "it will be made clear through the discussion of renewable energy in the government's energy and environmental committees".

　高木文科相は７月15日午前の閣議後の記者会見で、もんじゅについて開発中止を含めて検討する考えを示唆した後、同日夕に発言を事実上撤回した。

Minister Takagi hinted at discontinuing the development of Monju during the press conference after the cabinet meeting on July 15 morning, but effectively withdrew his comment in the evening of the same day.

Since Sellafield is closing its MOX-fuel plant specifically designed for the Japanese nuclear industry due to uncertain prospect after the Fukushima accident, Monju will be needed more than ever, if it ever succeeds in running for more than a few weeks.

Or the new generation of fast breeder reactor, to be built by Mitsubishi FBR Systems, which was set up by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 2007. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was selected by the government (Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industries) and the Federation of Electric Power Companies as the core company to develop the next generation fast breeder reactor in 2006.

There is no "free market" for the nuclear industry.

(In case you are wondering why the Ministry of Education is involved in nuclear power, it's because the Ministry absorbed the Science and Technology Agency in 2001. The Science and Technology Agency was set up as an independent agency under the Prime Minister's Office in 1956, for the express purpose of promoting nuclear energy in Japan. Its first head was Matsutaro Shoriki, "father of Japan's nuclear energy" who was also the owner of Yomiuri Shinbun and Nippon Television Network.)

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Nuke Plant Politics: METI Sent Energy Agency Chief to Pursuade Governor of Fukui to Re-Start Nuke Plants

The head of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), met with the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce in Fukui Prefecture to plot the strategy to press the governor of Fukui to agree to re-starting nuclear power plants in Fukui. The Chamber of Commerce chairman is one of the biggest supporters of the governor.

From Asahi Shinbun (7/25/2011):

原発の再起動に反対を続ける福井県の西川一誠知事を説得するよう、経済産業省の幹部が川田達男・福井商工会議所会頭に協力を働きかけたことについて、資源エネルギー庁は２５日、川田氏と面会したのは同庁の細野哲弘長官だったと明らかにした。一方、原発の再起動への協力依頼については「わかりかねる」としている。

The Agency for Natural Resources and Energy disclosed on July 25 that it was the Director General of the Agency, Tetsuhiro Hosono, who met with the head of the Fukui Prefecture Chamber of Commerce Tatsuo Kawada. But the Agency said it didn't know whether the director general had solicited Kawada's help in persuading the governor of Fukui, Kazumi (Issei) Nishikawa, who has refused to re-start the nuclear power plants [in his prefecture].

　川田氏は２４日、福井市であった県北陸新幹線建設促進同盟会総会で、原発の再起動に向けて海江田万里経産相が「安全宣言」を出した直後の６月２４日、同市内で経産省幹部と会談したと明かした。その際、「要望は積極的に協力する」と再起動への協力を求められたという。川田氏は幹部の個人名は明かさなかった。

Mr. Kawada revealed on July 24 in a general meeting in Fukui City for Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train) promotion for Fukui Prefecture that he met with a high-ranking METI official on June 24, right after Banri Kaieda, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry issued the "safety declaration" for the re-start of the nuclear power plants. Kawada said he was asked during the meeting to cooperate in re-starting the nuke plants [in Fukui Prefecture], with the official saying "we will make sure your request [for the re-start] will be expedited". Mr. Kawada didn't disclose the name of the official.

　同庁原子力発電立地対策・広報室は「細野長官に対し川田氏からは北陸新幹線の要望があった」と会談の事実は認めた。

The public relations department of the Agency admits there was a meeting between the two, that "Mr. Kawada pressed Director General Hosono for the Hokuriku Shinkansen project during the meeting".

　川田氏は県経済団体連合会会長も務め、西川知事の最大の支援者。

Mr. Kawada also serves as the chairman of the Fukui Prefecture Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), and is the largest supporter of Fukui Governor Nishikawa.

Governor Nishikawa, a career bureaucrat from the Ministry of Home Affairs (now the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications) before becoming the governor of Fukui in 2003, may be against the re-start without concrete assurance from the national government as to the safety of the nuclear plants, but he has been pushing hard for the Hokuriku Shinkansen project (to extend the line at least to Tsuruga City in Fukui) which would greatly benefit his prefecture.

Give and take. Will the governor be persuaded by the Hokuriku Shinkansen?

In the meantime, in the meeting of the Nuclear Safety Commission on July 25, the Mayor of Tsuruga City in Fukui Prefecture was newly appointed as a commissioner in the nuclear disaster counter-measures subcommittee of the NSC. He and another bureaucrat from the Aomori prefectural government (also newly appointed on July 25; Aomori is where the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant is located) are the only two government people appointed to the subcommittee; the rest are the researchers at government and private nuclear research institutions.

The area along the Wakasa Bay in Fukui Prefecture is called "Genpatsu Ginza (nuke plant high street)" with total of 15 nuclear reactors in 5 nuclear power plants.

4 reactors are located in Tsuruga City alone at Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant (with 2 reactors), the Fast Breeder Reactor Monju and the Advanced Thermal Reactor (ATR) Fugen (being decommissioned).

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