Japan nuke safety team took money from utility

Ohi nuclear power plant's No. 3 rector, right, stands next to No. 4 reactor in Ohi town, Fukui prefecture, western Japan, Monday morning, July 2, 2012. The No. 3 reactor restarted Sunday, the first to go back online since Japan shut down all of its reactors for safety checks following the Fukushima nuclear disaster. / AP Photo/Kyodo News

TOKYO Members of a Japanese government team assigned to set reactor safety measures received funding from utility companies or atomic industry manufacturers, raising questions about the experts' neutrality in the wake of last year's tsunami-triggered nuclear disaster.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said Friday that Nagoya University Professor Akio Yamamoto received 27.14 million yen ($339,000) over the past three years for research on reactors. That includes 6.28 million yen ($79,000) from a subsidiary of Tokyo Electric Power Co., the utility that runs the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant sent into meltdowns last year.

The authority said Friday that three others on the six-member standards team received industry funding. Getting such money is not illegal, but it could call the neutrality of the team into question, since the industry would benefit from laxer standards.

The commission had asked the team members to voluntarily disclose such funding, including grants and donations, in an effort to boost transparency.

Akira Yamaguchi, a professor at Osaka University, got 10 million yen ($125,000) in such money, including 3 million yen from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which makes nuclear plants.

Before, regulators were in the same ministry that promotes the industry. The Nuclear Regulation Authority was set up this year after calls for a more independent watchdog, and large and frequent public protests against nuclear power.

The Tokyo Shimbun newspaper reported Friday that such funding highlights the "danger the measures may turn spineless to reflect the utilities' wishes."

Even the Nuclear Regulation Authority's chief, Shunichi Tanaka, has been under fire as possibly being too pro-nuclear. He was a key member of a government panel promoting nuclear energy and headed government research on the technology before being tapped for the job.

Separately, another team of experts working under the commission has been examining earthquake faults at Ohi nuclear power plant, which houses the only two reactors running in Japan.

A decision is expected Sunday on whether Ohi will be shut down.

Japan's 50 nuclear reactors, besides the four ruined at Fukushima Dai-ichi, have not been turned back on after getting turned off for routine inspections.

The two at Ohi went back on in July, barely two months after this nation went without nuclear power. Before the Fukushima disaster, nuclear power had furnished about 30 percent of Japan's electricity.

Ruling party legislator Goshi Hosono, the former minister overseeing the disaster, said Saturday more tests may be needed to check on the faults, but even "a gray zone" of uncertainty would likely mean Ohi reactors would go offline.

And why does Japan even need 50 Nuclear plants?..that.s insane!

[Valhalla0907]

In Japan the utilities are all private corporations, the government has very little involvement.

[Fed-Up_Patriot]

Its sad that Japan is starting to get the same problems that have destroyed the USA over the last 10-15 years.

[Fed-Up_Patriot]

Chuck, Yes... it will become more and more obvious as time passes that something is very very wrong. Your willing to think differently if you want - time will show is correct.

Bull S---, they just hide it better for a longer time//

[ammo17]

i think they are listening to our politicians,sounds like something the democrats have been doing for years.why work for it when you can get bribes and payoffs.

IDIOT,..The Republitards are all about cover up and money and power, not the Democrats, And notice Republicans fund hundreds of billions in corporate welfare to Oil Coal and the NUCLEAR industry year after year you call that being conservative?,,you call Bushes war with out WMD's and the trillions spent for it (Conservative?)I am sick of idiots who live in denial land! You people live on greed and bribery and back door deals, Enron? Blackwater.and so many other send the bill to the tax payer programs..

[lami987]

U.S. Supreme Court says its freedom of speech. I wonder how much money those justices received from their freedom of speech clients?

[sjc_1]

Mitsubishi designed the San Onofre nuclear plant in southern California that is now having problems. Not a good track record.

And GE built the Fukushima plants..NUCLEAR NOT CHEAP OR SAFE! PS GE also built 24 just like theirs here in America all along the East coast..God Bless America..

[lifeduringwartime]

No way. I thought America still cornered the market on bribery and corruption. Is there anything those darn Japanese and Chinese won't copy?

[kthor123]

@CHUCK766 and you're probably one of those idiot Americans who thinks American Politicians are going just fine ..

[lifeduringwartime]

Chucky, I was flying the flag when the best part of you ran down your mommies leg.