There are quite a lot of sincere heads of
municipal governments like Niigata Prefectural Governor Izumida. We have to be careful not to misjudge who is
our friend and who is our enemy.
Masatoshi
Takeshita
April
23, 2013
English translation of an excerpt from a
Japanese article: “Everybody wants to be happy” – April 23, 2013 –
“Do
you intend to protect people” Niigata Prefectural Governor Criticized Nuclear
Regulation Authority
Niigata Prefectural Governor Izumida: Do you intend to secure the safety of nuclear power plants
and safety of the people?
Nuclear Regulation Agency Secretary Ikeda:
Yes, it’s a matter of course. It’s our
duty and it’s a matter of course.
Izumida: Do you intend to come face-to-
face with the area where nuclear power stations are located?
Ikeda:
Of course.
Izumida:
Do you?
Ikeda: Yes.
Izumida:
Why hasn’t NRA Chairman Takana come to see me today?
Ikeda: We are going to fully inform him of
what is talked in the meeting. Well, ….
Izumida:
Why are you going to use indirect speech?
Ikeda:
No, well …. There are many visitors
from many groups. Well…
Izumida: Do you think that Niigata is one
of such groups? We hold jurisdiction
over local administration.
Ikeda:
You hold jurisdiction over administration, but you’re the same.
Izumida:
We shares responsibility for nuclear safety administration, don’t we?
Ikeda:
Well, anyway.
Izumida: Isn’t
Nuclear Regulation Authority the body which is responsible for evacuation?
Ikeda:
Well, do you want to say that we have to obtain permission from the
residents?
Izuimda: Exactly. So,
why can you do that without listening to on-site voicest? Without doing it, you say it is perfect
safety standard.
Niigata prefecture has
experienced at least a fire accident and complex disaster at the Kashiwazaki
Kariwa nuclear power station when the Chuetsu-oki Earthquake occurred.
What happened?
I wonder why you can
judge without asking what actually happened on the scene.
What did we find it difficult to cope with?
For example, in the case of complex
disaster, it is likely that power-supply car will not reach the scene.
What are you going to do?
No investigation of
Fukushima nuclear power plant accident has been made.
You never listen to the
administrative body.
You never listen to
on-site voices, either.
What makes you think that
such safety standard is helpful?
Why can you explain this in just 15
minutes? First you said “Up to 15
minutes.”
Press Section Chief Akira Sato: As for 15
minutes, I hear that Niigata prefectural government said 15 minutes was enough!
*What Section Chief Sato is like: kiikochan.blog136.fc2.com/blog-entry-2388.html
Izumida:
I want you to stop such excuse.
Can you say to the
people, “you can trust in nuclear safety administration”?
Reporter:
Governor, from the beginning, you seemed to get very angry.
Izumida:
It’s quite natural. We have been
studying the safety standard since March.
We informed the NRA of what experts had studied
in the prefectural technical committee.
Although I asked him to see me to talk about “more secure environment,”
Chairman Tanaka won’t meet me.
Furthermore, at a press conference Chairman
Tanaka says *”Why do I have to answer the question of Niigata prefectural
governor? I have no obligation.”
I can’t help but feel
that it is doubtful whether “the NRA feels responsible for securing the people’s
safety.”
Reporter:
What are you going to request the NRA to do anew?
Izumida:
To secure safety.
It is most important to investigate why the
Fukushima nuclear power plant accident occurred and study how to cope with
it. Additionally, what matters most is
to provide information with transparency.
They never provide any information. They get things going self-righteously
without listening to us.
They try to say “we have
developed a guideline and that’s the end of the story.”
I think it is difficult
for them to win the confidence of the people.
Reporter:
How about the reoperation of the Kashiwazaki
Kariwa nuclear power station?
Izumida:
Therefore, I ask a question: “should we
investigate the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident first?”
From their response, I think those involved
have not given an answer.
I think it should be done
first.
Reporter:
No matter how long will it take?
Izumida:
Therefore, it has nothing to do with time.
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