Japanese government delayed nuclear emergency measures to protect TEPCO profits

Japanese government delayed nuclear emergency measures to protect TEPCO profits
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/mar2011/japa-m21.shtml

The Wall Street Journal reported on the weekend that TEPCO had considered using sea water to cool one of the plant’s six reactors as early as the morning of March 12, the day after the quake struck, but delayed until that evening and did not use seawater at other reactors for another day. The company’s concern was to protect its long-term investment in the Fukushima complex, because seawater can corrode a nuclear reactor, rendering it permanently inoperable.

TEPCO “hesitated because it tried to protect its assets,” Akira Omoto, a former TEPCO executive and member of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, told the financial newspaper. A government official stated: “This disaster is 60 percent man-made. They failed in their initial response. It’s like TEPCO dropped and lost a 100 yen coin while trying to pick up a 10 yen coin.”

Because the government was committed to leaving the emergency response in the hands of the private owner—the fourth largest power company in the world—official efforts were also critically delayed. Fire-fighting and military resources were not utilised in the cool-down operations in a substantial manner until last Wednesday, after four of the six reactors had already suffered damage and the remaining two showed signs of heating. A military spokesman said forces did not move in because they were not requested by TEPCO.