Report: President of Japan's troubled TEPCO resigning

[Omaha Steve]

Source: MSNBC

Company leader takes responsibility for handling of nuclear power plant

TOKYO — The president of troubled Tokyo Electric Power Co. is stepping down and taking responsibility for the handling of Japan's nuclear power plant crisis, Japanese media reported Friday.

Masataka Shimizu will be replaced by senior executive Katsutoshi Chikudate as the company prepares to report huge losses, the Yomiuri newspaper said.

TEPCO has been struggling since March 11, when the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant was heavily damaged by an earthquake and tsunami and began leaking radiation. Some 80,000 people living within a 12-mile radius of the plant were evacuated from their homes afterward and many are living in gymnasiums.

The disaster is the world’s worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl in 1986, analysts say.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43101927/ns/business-world_business/

---

Yuriko Nakao / Reuters
Tokyo Electric Power Co. President Masataka Shimizu reportedly is resigning more than two months after an earthquake and tusnami crippled the company's Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power plant.

[BillyJack]

1. Well, THAT's an easy way out of the mess.....

Throw up hands and leave (and "sorry", btw)....

HOLY CRAP. He didn't cause the earthquake or tsunami (and he probably wasn't there - or a HUGE decision maker - when the plant was designed!

And NOW, when trouble is here, he throws up his hands and says "g'bye/sayonara - I'm outta here!" and trying to make it seem 'noble'.....

awwww, f*ckin' coward!

[snagglepuss]

2. Exactly. nt

[Art_from_Ark]

3. That's how it's usually done in Japan

Company messes up, the president resigns. Nothing at all unusual about that in Japan-- in fact, it's expected.

[jtuck004]

4. They have so much to learn from us. Here, when you nuke the economy,

you get a bonus from the taxpayers you screwed over in the first place. Then you go before congress, make fools of them, and get more money to play with.
Rather than resign they are a bit put out they didn't get a medal. But that's what keeps us great.

Hope things are settling down a bit for you and others.

[Art_from_Ark]

5. That would be one type of American import that Japan doesn't need!

Regarding the situation around here (the Tokyo-southern Ibaraki corridor) things seem to be getting pretty much back to normal-- on the surface at least. But I have been hearing that there was a surprisingly large amount of interior damage (to equipment, etc.) sustained by universities and other local institutions, and just to clean up from that is going to take most of the year's remaining budget.

[jtuck004]

6. Yea, I have been reading other articles, and there is so much torn up.

Beyond the nuclear issue, there are still whole villages and towns with huge infrastructure problems, still a large number of people without anything other than emergency housing. And I am pretty sure no one was used to electricity not being available all the time.

It took years, decades, to build all that, and it is going to take time to put it all back together, not to mention cleanup, property changes, deciding what the future is going to look like.

Glad you are ok.

[Art_from_Ark]

7. Yeah, there are still towns with a lot of infrastructure problems

There are a few places here in Ibaraki that are still trying to recover, and of course it gets worse crossing the border into Fukushima. Then north of Fukushima, outside of the radiation zone, there is still a big problem with coping with the aftereffects of the disaster. Just cleaning up the debris is like Hercules trying to clean up the Augean stables. NHK reported the other day that the disasters in Miyagi prefecture alone produced the equivalent of 23 years' worth of Miyagi's normal rubble and refuse. It's hard to imagine having to deal with that amount of junk.

And like you said, it took years, decades, to build all that, and it is going to take time to put it all back together, not to mention cleanup, property changes, deciding what the future is going to look like. It will help a lot, though, just to get the rubble cleared away.

And thanks for your concern about me. Even though I suffered only minimal direct damage from the disasters, I am still having to deal with various indirect effects.

[uppityperson]

9. Best wishes to you and others there. Thanks for the report Art

[marions ghost]

8. exactly

:sarcasm: :mad:

[Odin2005]

10. He should commit Seppuku