Fukushima Town Mulling Criminal Complaint over Radiation Data Delay

Source: Jiji Press

The Namie town government in Fukushima Prefecture is considering filing a criminal complaint over delays in the disclosure of radioactive material diffusion estimates under Japan's SPEEDI system, Mayor Tamotsu Baba said Wednesday.

The local government will consider filing such a complaint on charges of professional negligence resulting in death. The complaint may be leveled against central and prefectural government officials, but the municipality may not identify the targets of the complaint, according to Baba.

Japan did not make SPEEDI-generated forecasts on the spread of radioactive materials from Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s <9501> Fukushima No. 1 power plant public in the critical early days of the nuclear crisis there. SPEEDI stands for the System for Prediction of Environmental Emergency Dose Information.

Since the crisis began in March last year, most of Namie's 21,000 residents have been evacuated from the northeastern Japan town.

<snip>

Read more: http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012041100893