Japanese prosecutors drop charges against TEPCO over nuclear meltdown disaster

Monday, March 24, 2014 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: Japanese prosecutors, TEPCO, nuclear meltdown

(NaturalNews) In a move that has shocked many inside and outside of the country, three years after the March 2011 nuclear reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima power plant, Japanese prosecutors have decided to drop all charges against Tokyo Electric Power Co., or TEPCO, which essentially means that no one will be held responsible for the disaster and its aftermath.

According to reports, there have been no deaths directly tied to radiation leaks following the meltdown and crippling of the plant in the wake of a 9.0 earthquake, which created a massive tsunami that slammed into the plant. However, July 2012 analysis results made by an independent investigative committee established by the Japanese government nonetheless found that the accident was a "man-made disaster" because of shortcomings in the Asian financial giant's corporate culture, reported the Australian online edition of International Business Times, which continued:

Prosecutors however ruled that there was nothing wrong with how plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) and the government officials conducted their post-quake response given that it was an unexpected emergency situation. TEPCO surely cannot predict an earthquake and tsunami of that size, they said.

"Absolutely no-one is taking responsibility for this huge accident and when all these people are suffering," Aileen Mioko-Smith, of Kyoto-based Green Action Japan, told The Telegraph newspaper in Britain.

"The investigation clearly stated this was an accident created by humans, not a natural disaster, but the judicial system here has now decided to side with the powers-that-be," she added.

Mioko-Smith said Japanese prosecutors' decision to drop all charges was inherently irresponsible.

"And I fear that failing to prosecute in this case will lead to another disaster in the future," she said.

'We won't give up the indictments'

In 2012, more than 15,000 Japanese whose homes and farms were exposed to radiation from the wounded plant filed a criminal complaint against TEPCO and the Japanese government. But now, prosecutors have said it would be hard to prove negligence, which effectively ends the case.

"There are many victims of the accident, but there is no 'assailant'," Ruiko Muto, a protest rally organizer, told attendees.

Hiroyuki Kawai, Muto's lawyer, said he believed that, had TEPCO made detailed foresight, the disaster could have been prevented.

"We won't give up indictment of the [TEPCO] officials," he said.

The massive tsunami that resulted from the major quake smashed into Japan's northeast coast, killing about 18,500 people and destroying entire communities. Three years later, tens of thousands are still unable to return to their homes around the Fukushima plant, which some experts have said will take decades to properly clean up.

Meanwhile, the fallout from the meltdown and resultant release of radiation continues to harm the ecosystems around the plant and beyond.

Natural News testing and monitoring continues

As Natural News reported in January, some of that radiation has made it all the way to the California coast.

As our founder and editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, noted, officials in one California community confirmed that radiation levels had risen an astounding 500 percent. [View that source here].

U.S. health officials, like their Japanese counterparts, continue to downplay the significance of the release of so much radiation, and, admittedly, the amount of radiation released is not potent enough (thus far) to cause people to drop dead in their tracks. But what is clear is that more radiation than normal has been released into the atmosphere and environment, certainly around the disaster site but far beyond it as well. And we don't yet know -- no one can -- what the long-term health effects are going to be.

So what is wrong with employing a little caution, especially when it comes to extra scrutiny of the aquatic food chain?

As for Mike, working in conjunction with the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center, he has conducted a series of tests for several elements. The specifics of those tests, and where to find the results, is here: NaturalNews.com.

Sources:

http://au.ibtimes.com

http://www.hmbreview.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com