SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Japan Ousts Nuclear Critic in Regulatory Reshuffling
Ardent nuclear supporter to join Nuclear Regulation Authority, replacing critic of speedy nuclear restart
May 28, 2014
Japan's government announced Wednesday it is reshuffling the country's top nuclear regulating body by ousting an outspoken critic of the nuclear industry and replacing him with an ardent supporter of nuclear power.
Critics charge that the move is aimed at fast-tracking Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plan to restart the country's nuclear reactors.
"The personnel change is a blatant attempt to prompt resumption of nuclear plants," Hajime Matsukubo, spokesman the Citizen's Nuclear Information Centre, told AFP.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority was created in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima meltdown with the stated goal of ensuring that nuclear disasters "never be allowed to happen again."
The Abe administration announced that, when the terms of the five commissioners are up, two will be replaced. The commissioners are appointed by the prime minister and must be approved by Japan's legislature.
Kunihiko Shimazaki, who is one of the outgoing commissioners, has stoked the ire of Japan's energy industry by resisting efforts to push through a speedy nuclear restart and criticizing companies for inadequate safety measures.
According to Japanese paper The Asahi Shimbun, "An executive with Kyushu Electric Power Co. summed up those sentiments by saying, 'Shimazaki made us suffer.'"
Nuclear engineering professor Satoru Tanaka, who will be joining the commission, has a track record of strongly supporting nuclear energy and previously served as president of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan.
Furthermore, Tanaka previously received research funds and pay from "a nuclear plant manufacturer and a foundation linked to Tokyo Electric Power Co.," which runs the Fukushima plant, The Asahi Shimbun reports.
The reshuffle is largely expected to be a huge boon to the country's nuclear industry, despite ongoing failure to resolve the Fukushima crisis.
_____________________
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare is the editor of Workday Magazine and a contributing editor for In These Times. She is a former Staff Writer at Common Dreams. She comes from a background in independent journalism for publications including The Intercept, The Nation, and Tom Dispatch.
Japan's government announced Wednesday it is reshuffling the country's top nuclear regulating body by ousting an outspoken critic of the nuclear industry and replacing him with an ardent supporter of nuclear power.
Critics charge that the move is aimed at fast-tracking Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plan to restart the country's nuclear reactors.
"The personnel change is a blatant attempt to prompt resumption of nuclear plants," Hajime Matsukubo, spokesman the Citizen's Nuclear Information Centre, told AFP.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority was created in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima meltdown with the stated goal of ensuring that nuclear disasters "never be allowed to happen again."
The Abe administration announced that, when the terms of the five commissioners are up, two will be replaced. The commissioners are appointed by the prime minister and must be approved by Japan's legislature.
Kunihiko Shimazaki, who is one of the outgoing commissioners, has stoked the ire of Japan's energy industry by resisting efforts to push through a speedy nuclear restart and criticizing companies for inadequate safety measures.
According to Japanese paper The Asahi Shimbun, "An executive with Kyushu Electric Power Co. summed up those sentiments by saying, 'Shimazaki made us suffer.'"
Nuclear engineering professor Satoru Tanaka, who will be joining the commission, has a track record of strongly supporting nuclear energy and previously served as president of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan.
Furthermore, Tanaka previously received research funds and pay from "a nuclear plant manufacturer and a foundation linked to Tokyo Electric Power Co.," which runs the Fukushima plant, The Asahi Shimbun reports.
The reshuffle is largely expected to be a huge boon to the country's nuclear industry, despite ongoing failure to resolve the Fukushima crisis.
_____________________
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare is the editor of Workday Magazine and a contributing editor for In These Times. She is a former Staff Writer at Common Dreams. She comes from a background in independent journalism for publications including The Intercept, The Nation, and Tom Dispatch.
Japan's government announced Wednesday it is reshuffling the country's top nuclear regulating body by ousting an outspoken critic of the nuclear industry and replacing him with an ardent supporter of nuclear power.
Critics charge that the move is aimed at fast-tracking Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plan to restart the country's nuclear reactors.
"The personnel change is a blatant attempt to prompt resumption of nuclear plants," Hajime Matsukubo, spokesman the Citizen's Nuclear Information Centre, told AFP.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority was created in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima meltdown with the stated goal of ensuring that nuclear disasters "never be allowed to happen again."
The Abe administration announced that, when the terms of the five commissioners are up, two will be replaced. The commissioners are appointed by the prime minister and must be approved by Japan's legislature.
Kunihiko Shimazaki, who is one of the outgoing commissioners, has stoked the ire of Japan's energy industry by resisting efforts to push through a speedy nuclear restart and criticizing companies for inadequate safety measures.
According to Japanese paper The Asahi Shimbun, "An executive with Kyushu Electric Power Co. summed up those sentiments by saying, 'Shimazaki made us suffer.'"
Nuclear engineering professor Satoru Tanaka, who will be joining the commission, has a track record of strongly supporting nuclear energy and previously served as president of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan.
Furthermore, Tanaka previously received research funds and pay from "a nuclear plant manufacturer and a foundation linked to Tokyo Electric Power Co.," which runs the Fukushima plant, The Asahi Shimbun reports.
The reshuffle is largely expected to be a huge boon to the country's nuclear industry, despite ongoing failure to resolve the Fukushima crisis.
_____________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy