Japan Goes Nuclear During Olympics

Nuclear Shutdown News

By Michael Steinberg / Black Rain Press

Nuclear Shutdown News chronicles the decline and fall of the nuclear power industry, in the US and beyond, and highlights the efforts of those working to create a nuclear free world.

Japan Goes Nuclear During Olympics

As Covid cases in Tokyo hit a record daily high of 4000+ (and rising) on July 31 , another perspective on the Covid Olympics appeared in a July 26 Reuters article, “Japan goes nuclear in bid to stay cool during Olympics.”

The article reported, “Japan has rebooted extra power plants, including a long dormant nuclear plant, and has taken other steps to avoid a power crisis as temperatures rise” as does the need for cooling, especially Tokyo,” where the games began on July 23.

As with the Olympics, the vast majority of Japanese people oppose nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster 10 years ago.

It appears that Japanese authorities are using the Olympian world stage to suppress protests against the games as well no nukes protests as they quietly restart nuclear power plants.

Anyone who watched the opening night men’s skateboarding contest, as temperatures hit the 90s, while young athletes without protective gear repeatedly wiped out and crashed on the hard concrete surfaces can testify to the futility of this cooling strategy. But for most viewers all that mattered was that the Southern California initiated Jan and Dean spectacle looked good on TV.

The restarted nuclear plant in question mentioned by Reuters is a “44 year old reactor that had been shut down for 10 years. It’s owner, Kansai Electric in western Japan, has restarted five reactors since this January,” according to Reuters.

As oft reported in Nuclear Shutdown News, nuclear reactors are designed to operate only 40 years.

Source: Reuters, reuters.com.

Exelon To Close Four More Nuke Plants

On July 28, Illinois virtual TV station WIFR reported that Chicago-based Exelon, the nation’s largest owner and operator of nuclear plants, will be permanently closing four of its Illinois nuclear plants.

WIFR reported the shutdowns were caused by “falling prices due shortfalls of hundreds of millions due to low energy prices and unfair competitive advantages.”

But that’s only part of the story. After Exelon couldn’t make money off these aging, uncompetitive plants, the company strenuously lobbied the Illinois legislature to subsidize losses with taxpayer money. When that scam didn’t go down, Exelon had no choice left but to throw in the towel.

Exelon’s Dresden and Byron nuke plants will be closing this coming September. It’s Braidwood and Lasalle plants will close down in the next few years.

Source: WIFR, wifr.com.