Japanese Plant Had Barebones Risk Plan

Source: Wall Street Journal

Japanese Plant Had Barebones Risk Plan
* MARCH 31, 2011
By PHRED DVORAK And PETER LANDERS


TOKYO—Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s disaster plans greatly underestimated the scope of a potential accident at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, calling for only one stretcher, one satellite phone and 50 protective suits in case of emergencies.

Disaster-response documents for Fukushima Daiichi, examined by The Wall Street Journal, also contain few guidelines for obtaining outside help, providing insight into why Japan struggled to cope with a nuclear crisis after an earthquake and tsunami devastated the facility.

The disaster plans, approved by Japanese regulators, offer guidelines for responding to smaller emergencies and outline in detail how to back up key systems in case of failure. Yet the plans fail to envision the kind of worst-case scenario that befell Japan: damage so extensive that the plant couldn't respond on its own or call for help from nearby plants. There are no references to Tokyo firefighters, Japanese military forces or U.S. equipment, all of which the plant operators eventually relied upon to battle their overheating reactors.

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The main disaster-readiness manual, updated annually, envisions the fax machine as a principal means of communication with the outside world and includes detailed forms for Tepco managers when faxing government officials. One form offers a multiple-choice list of disasters, including "loss of AC power," "inability to use the control room" and "probable nuclear chain reaction outside the reactor."

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Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703712504576232961004646464.html

Hope they also check the box for 'plutonium.'

It's criminal that all they had to protect their workers were 50 suits.



Going by the looks of them, they needed Duct-Tape.

And may nuclear power head for where the sun don't shine.

They aren't even waterproof! :grr:

I agree. The gamut of uniforms they wear do look like they are dressing up in costumes.

A little gallows humor I suppose.




k&r