Quake/Tsunami

[tw]

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

That's so surprising given the Japanese government's reputation for transparency, candidness, and lack of guile.

That may be a Japanese attitude. But that clearly was not TEPCO management's attitude. Problems were apparent and discussed here especially on and after 14 March 2011. The Japanese Prime Minster personally stormed into TEPCO headquarters to personally order them to not abandon those plants. After a meltdown was even obvious here, weeks later, TEPCO finally admitted to those meltdowns.

Read that at least one potential Three Mile Island situation had started on 12 Mar 2011 (day after the quake). By 14 Mar, a meltdown was apparent.

In hindsight, Reactor One had already exposed and melted its core when Fukishima Three and Two were following - as discussed here:
Quake/Tsunami

NHK makes government nuclear regulators also look evasive and misleading.

Nine Mile Point (only Unit One) and Fukishima Daichi were similar designs constructed about the same time. Its not the designs that are a problem. Fukishima had a management problem as posts after 11 Mar 2011 demonstrate. NHK's documentaries also demonstrate.

Mismanagement was also the reason for Three Mile Island. A disaster averted only because Pres Carter ordered Denton to discover what was happening. Denton discovered that GPU mismanagement was so gross as to personally take ownership of that plant - without authorization.

People are quick to blame the plant(s) rather than reasons why a problem turns into a major disaster.