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Independence of Japan’s nuclear regulator questioned after shakeup
buy canada goose jacket TOKYO (Reuters) Japanese legislators approved a reshuffle at the nuclear safety regulator including appointing a commissioner who has received nearly $100,000 from nuclear related entities over the past decade to fund his academic research. buy canada goose jacket
Opponents said the changes, which were approved on Tuesday, undermined Prime Minister Shinzo Abe commitment to an independent watchdog at a time when utilities are pushing to restart their idled reactors.
canada goose clearance sale The NRA independence is under scrutiny as it reviews applications canada goose outlet jackets to restart reactors, all 48 of which were shut in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster. canada goose clearance sale
Canada Goose Jackets The commission was set up as canada goose outlet buffalo an independent agency after Fukushima to replace a regulator seen as too buy propecia with paypal. close to the industry and to an energy ministry that promoted atomic power. Since then, utilities have pledged more than $15 billion to upgrade equipment and facilities. Canada Goose Jackets
canada goose black friday sale Japan lower house of parliament, where Abe has a majority, approved his government nomination of Satoru Tanaka, a nuclear engineering professor at the University of Tokyo and a proponent of nuclear power. canada goose black friday sale
It also approved geologist Akira Ishiwatari, whose candidacy generated little controversy. The upper house is expected to also canada goose outlet toronto factory give them canada goose outlet store montreal the greenlight.
Canada Goose Parka Industry analysts said any nuclear energy expert in Japan would have received funding from the industry given the decades of close ties between utilities and Japanese academia. Canada Goose Parka
canada goose deals it is a matter of the degree of money you receive, said Hideyuki Ban of Citizens Nuclear Information Center, a non profit anti nuclear group. canada goose deals
Canada Goose sale Tanaka did not respond to e mailed requests for comment on the donations, which were detailed in financial disclosures and Japanese media. Tokyo canada goose outlet ottawa University would not canada goose outlet store uk provide contact information for him, citing privacy concerns. Canada Goose sale
someone like (Tanaka) on canada goose outlet shop as a regulator changes the fundamental role of the NRA, said Tomoko Abe, an independent anti https://www.canadagooseisverige.com nuclear lawmaker not related to the prime minister.
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buy canada goose jacket cheap Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said canada goose discount uk last month that the nominees were the people for the job, who can canada goose outlet real fulfil their roles from an independent, scientifically unbiased and fair standpoint buy canada goose jacket cheap
canada goose coats Akihiro Sawa, a research director at the 21st Century Public Policy Institute, a think tank affiliated with Japan biggest canada goose outlet sale business lobby Keidanren, defended Tanaka. canada goose coats
canada goose store institutions now encourage professors to get research funds and it very canada goose outlet vancouver competitive, so his background should not be judged purely on the outside funds he has received, said Sawa. canada goose store
YEARS OF FUNDING Tanaka, who was not at parliament on Tuesday, had sought to dispel concerns about his canada goose jacket outlet sale candidacy.
canada goose clearance He recently told public broadcaster NHK: I am approved, I canada goose outlet us will take into account mistakes from the Fukushima accident and I will do my utmost by utilising all my experience. canada goose clearance
canada goose Eight months after Fukushima, canada goose outlet store new york he was one of the first experts to say it may be safe to consider atomic energy again, canada goose outlet washington dc according to remarks he made to a government panel on energy. canada goose
canada goose coats on sale Between canada goose outlet niagara falls the 2004 and 2010 fiscal years, Tanaka received 6 million yen ($58,500 at current exchange rates) for research from three firms according to disclosures made by Tokyo canada goose outlet canada goose outlet seattle University in response to a public information request from Reuters: Electric Power Development canada goose jacket outlet uk Co Ltd, known as J Power, which is building a nuclear plant in northern Japan; reactor maker Hitachi Ltd nuclear division; and canada goose kensington parka uk Hitachi GE Nuclear Energy Ltd. canada goose coats on sale
Japan Jiji news service said Tanaka also received around 3 canada goose outlet las vegas million yen over five years to March 31, canada goose outlet ontario 2012 from the Tepco Memorial Foundation, an organisation set up by the predecessor company to Fukushima operator Tokyo Electric Power, or Tepco. A foundation spokesman said Tanaka had been paid for judging research grants but declined to give an amount.
Tokyo University said it had no information on any possible payment from the Tepco foundation, as this would be Tanaka private income.
In disclosures to the NRA in April, Tanaka canada goose outlet eu said he received at least 500,000 yen in the year to March 2012 from the foundation. NRA nominees are only required to disclose funding received in the past three years.
For the year to March 2012, Tanaka told the NRA he also received a total of canada goose stockists uk 1.1 million yen from Hitachi GE Nuclear Energy and Taiheiyo Consultant, an engineering firm.
Canada Goose Outlet None of canada goose outlet locations in toronto the original NRA commissioners received funds canada goose outlet store toronto from a utility or nuclear plant operator for their research in the three years canada goose outlet store near me leading canada goose victoria parka outlet up to their appointment, according to disclosures made when the NRA was set up. Canada Goose Outlet
Commissioner Toyoshi Fuketa received about 1.5 million yen in fiscal 2009 10 from Nuclear Fuel Industries for research he did with Japan sole producer of nuclear fuel, an NRA filing showed.
CRITICAL VOICE The NRA most critical voice, seismologist Kazuhiko Shimazaki, will retire in September after two years as its deputy, a period in which he angered the industry with safety demands that in one case effectively scuttled a reactor restart.
Activists and some NRA officials had hoped Shimazaki would remain, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. But the government said he and a former Japanese ambassador to the United Nations, Kenzo Oshima, wanted to leave at the end of their two year terms.
Shimazaki has not spoken publicly about his retirement and the NRA declined to make him available for comment. It not clear who will be the NRA new deputy.
Canada Goose online main objective of this shuffle is to remove commissioner Shimazaki, said Tetsunari Iida, executive director of Japan canada goose parka uk Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies, an anti nuclear canada goose coats uk group. industry would canada goose outlet trillium parka black never be satisfied if he wasn replaced Canada Goose online.
