Japanese govt refuses to restart reactors due to astroturfing scandal

[kristopher]

Scandal keeps Genkai reactors idle

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yukio Edano says the government won't allow Kyushu Electric Power Co. to fire up two reactors at its Genkai nuclear plant amid a scandal involving an attempt by the utility to misrepresent public opinion regarding the restart.

Kyushu Electric shouldn't be allowed to resume operation of reactors 2 and 3, currently idled for regular checks and maintenance, at the plant in Saga Prefecture "in view of its current governance," Edano told the Upper House Budget Committee on Thursday.

Edano was referring to Kyushu Electric's campaign to mobilize employees to bombard a government-sponsored television program with emails in support of restarting the reactors.

A third-party panel set up by the utility to investigate the scandal concluded in late September that a remark by Saga Gov. Yasushi Furukawa prompted the utility to launch the email campaign.

A report...

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20111119a5.html

This is a widespread problem - both within Japan and around the world.

For example:

Pluthermal is short for plutonium-thermal and refers to the use of mixed plutonium-uranium fuel. It was the fuel in Daiichi reactor #4 that was in the pool waiting to be loaded. There apparently was united public opposition to the use in this reactor in the northernmost island of Japan, so the utility called on employees to submit anonymous letters of support to make it look like many local residents were in favor of the initiative.

Hokkaido Electric solicited staff for pro-pluthermal nuke project opinions

SAPPORO -- A Hokkaido Electric Power Co. staffer issued an internal memo encouraging employees to voice support for the so-called pluthermal project at the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant's No. 3 reactor, according to sources close to the matter.

..."Hokkaido Electric employees are also local residents. We are also accepting opinions from those who request anonymity," the memo says. It also mentions asking members of a group of intellectuals set up at the time by the Hokkaido prefectural government to study the safety of the pluthermal program to speed up deliberations.

...A third-party investigative panel established by Hokkaido Electric found the memo among internal e-mails in September this year, but its content was not released at the time as the Hokkaido government believed it lacked credibility.

According to sources, Satoru Murai -- then chief of the nuclear power safety section and now director general of the prefectural government's Kushiro promotion bureau -- was quoted in the memo as saying, "Only opinions against" the pluthermal project have been heard, adding, "Hokkaido Electric employees are also local residents, aren't they?" and "We are also accepting opinions labeled, 'XX town, name withheld by request'."...

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20111118p2a00m0na006000c.html

Also,

"How the nuclear industry uses its bloggers network to lie to the public"
There is a network of "nuclear bloggers" that work with and are coordinated by the nuclear industry. There is a point person at the nuclear industry lobbying group the "Nuclear Energy Institute:" that is responsible for social media outreach and at nuclear industry conventions the bloggers are invited to attend hosted workshops (promoted and planned by employees of US Dept of Energy Labs) designed to spread the nuclear gospel....

read the full post at:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x316695

Be sure to see post #19 for the supporting links:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=316695&mesg_id=316752