Former Fukushima Worker Sues TEPCO for Downplaying Radiation Dangers

A former worker at the Fukushima nuclear plant has filed a lawsuit against TEPCO, the Tokyo Electric Power Company. The lawsuit claims that crews were sent into highly radioactive areas without proper protection or any kind of warning of what they would be dealing with.

The Associated Press is reporting that:

“The former worker, identified only as Shinichi, is alleging that crews were not given adequate protection or warnings by TEPCO, the operator of the Fukushima plant.

He says TEPCO knew the risks posed by highly radioactive water that was pooling in the reactor buildings, but he claims the company sent crews into the flooded areas anyway.

The former worker says this led to radiation injuries.  He has now filed a legal complaint with Japan’s labour office seeking an improvement of safety standards.

He also is seeking penalties — up to six months in jail or fines of up to 500,000 yen ($6,250) under the Industrial Safety and Health Act — against the company that supervised him.”

Since there was large amounts of radioactive water in the part of the plant that they were working in, they required a great deal of advanced protective gear.

However, the superiors neglected to mention this fact and sent workers into harms way with whatever boots and coveralls that could be found.

Throughout the whole entire meltdown process TEPCO and the Japanese government have downplayed the environmental impact of the Fukushima disaster.

One politician was even arrogant enough to drink radioactive water, in a desperate kamikaze move to save credibility for the government.

All parties involved behind the scenes are remaining completely silent, although the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (NAIIC) has already concluded that the nuclear disaster at Fukushima was “a profoundly man-made disaster that could and should have been foreseen and prevented.”

In contrast to the official reports coming from the government and the power company, test after test has shown that the meltdown has had a significant impact on the surrounding area.

It was reported last month that irradiated fish captured near the inoperative nuclear plant showed 25,800 becquerels of caesium per kilo, which is actually 258 times the level determined ‘safe’ by the government.

News of this lawsuit comes less than a month after TEPCO admitted that they were inadequately prepared for such a disaster, despite many warnings from workers and experts.