SEOUL, South Korea — Japan did not properly protect its nuclear plants against tsunami threats before the March 11 disaster that caused radiation to spew from the Fukushima Dai ichi plant, a preliminary report released Wednesday concluded.
“The tsunami hazard for several sites was underestimated,” according to a three-page summary released by a United Nations nuclear safety team.
That miscalculation led to meltdowns in three of the facility’s six reactors, which caused the release of harmful radioactive isotopes into the air, soil and seawater. The emergency prompted the evacuation of more than 80,000 residents.
The International Atomic Energy Agency report — compiled by nuclear experts from a dozen nations, including the U.S., France, Russia and China — blamed the tsunami for causing power outages that led the disaster to spiral out of control.
Although characterizing Japan’s response to the disaster as “exemplary,” the report called for nuclear plant designers and operators to better coordinate safety preparations at more than a dozen atomic power plants nationwide.
Early today, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said he would consider resigning once Japan’s efforts to recover from the disaster take firm hold, The Associated Press reported. He told members of his party that he felt responsible for carrying through with leading the recovery. He made the comments ahead of a no-confidence vote in parliament.
Kan, who became prime minister just a year ago, has been criticized for delays in construction of temporary housing for evacuees, lack of transparency about evacuation information, and a perceived lack of leadership.
