Fukushima and its Long Time Threats – PRN Radio Panel

 



Original Source: Progressive Community Hour PRN Radio Dec 16^th, 2013

http://prn.fm/progressive-commentary-hour-121613/

Special broadcast on the conditions at Fukushima and its present and long-term threats with host Gary Null, and experts Arne Gunderson, Helen Caldicott, & Harvey Wasserman

Arne Gundersen is founding chief engineer of Fairewinds Energy Education, a non profit organization dedicated to educating the public about nuclear power and other energy issues. In the past he was an energy advisor with 39-years of nuclear power engineering experience and a former nuclear industry senior vice president. During his industry career, Arne managed and coordinated projects at 70-nuclear power plants around the country. Now an independent nuclear engineering and safety expert, Arne has provided testimony on nuclear operations, reliability, safety, and radiation issues to the NRC, Congressional and State Legislatures, and Government Agencies and Officials throughout the US, Canada, and internationally. In 2008, he was appointed by the Vermont Senate President to be the first Chair of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant Oversight Panel.He is regarded as one of the leading nuclear experts who is conveying the truth about the dangers of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants and the global threats from the on-going release of radiation. His website is http://www.fairewinds.org/

Dr. Helen Caldicott is perhaps the single most articulate and passionate advocate of citizen action to counter the nuclear and environmental crises. She has a medical degree from the University of Adelaide and was a pediatric instructorHarvard Medical School until 1980 when she resigned to work full time on the prevention of nuclear war. She co-founded the Physicians for Social Responsibility, an organization of 23,000 doctors committed to educating their colleagues about the dangers of nuclear power, nuclear weapons and nuclear war. Dr. Caldicott has received numerous awards, was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by Linus Pauling and has 21 honorary degress. The Smithsonian has named Dr. Caldicott as one of the most influential women of the 20th century.

She has written many articles and books, her latest being “Nuclear Power is Not the Answer to Global Warming or Anything Else.” Her website is http://www.helencaldicott.com/

Prof. Harvey Wasserman is a professor of history at Columbus State College and Capital University in Ohio. He is an investigative journalist, author and has been a national voice in the anti-war and anti-nuclear movements for over four decades. He is also a senior advisor for Greenpeace USA and the Nuclear Information and Resource Service and founder of Solartopia.org, a grassroots endeavor to promote a green-powered earth. Among his many books are “George W Bush vs. the Superpower of Peace” and his articles appear frequently on Counterpunch, Alternet, NukeWatch, Huffington Post and others.

Harvey can also be heard every Monday afternoon at 3 pm Eastern as host of “Green Power and Wellness” on the Progressive Radio Network. His website is http://www.Solartopia.org/

 

Fukushima plant leaking toxic water into Pacific Ocean

An aerial file photo of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/08/05/317354/fukushima-plant-leaking-toxic-water/

Japan's Nuclear Regulatory Authority says the country's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is leaking contaminated water into the nearby Pacific Ocean.

Shinji Kinjo, head of a Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) said on Monday that radioactive groundwater at the damaged facility had risen above a barrier installed to contain it. This means the toxic water is likely flowing into the sea.

"Right now, we have an emergency," he added.

The regulatory watchdog has accused the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, of neglecting the issue.

"TEPCO's sense of crisis is weak," Kinjo said, adding, "This is why you can't just leave it up to TEPCO alone to grapple with the ongoing disaster."

However, TEPCO says it has taken various measures to stop the leakage.

The Fukushima plant was destroyed in a mega earthquake followed by a tsunami on March 11, 2011. At that time, the Japanese government allowed TEPCO to dump thousands of tons of radioactive water into the sea in an emergency move.

The developments come as a Japanese parliamentary panel has found that the incident at the Fukushima nuclear plant had been a “man-made disaster” and not only a result of the tsunami. The report criticized “governments, regulatory authorities and Tokyo Electric Power” for being devoid of “a sense of responsibility to protect people’s lives and society.”