This is not new news, but it has been reported recently in many outlets that TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) covered up the fact that three of the four reactors suffered meltdowns. Instead they pushed the narrative that there had been ‘core damage’ but no meltdowns, which caused health issues for residents as well as US Navy Sailors exposed to the radiation plume after the accident.

When you know that molten fuel has escaped containment and is guaranteed to spread significant radioactive contamination into the environment, and as a company, you decide to lie about and cover-up this reality, you have to wonder what the reason is. Understand that TEPCO lied for months, not days, and this resulted in the world ignoring the real threat and of aid of different governments to be refused.

What I think we should learn from this is that nuclear companies are willing to sacrifice the public good for their public image. This is no different in the United States as the Turkey Point and Indian Point nuclear reactor leaks demonstrate.

CBS News, June 21:

The utility that ran the Fukushima nuclear plant acknowledged Tuesday its delayed disclosure of the meltdowns at three reactors was tantamount to a cover-up and apologized for it.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. President Naomi Hirose’s apology followed the revelation last week that an investigation had found Hirose’s predecessor instructed officials during the 2011 disaster to avoid using the word ‘meltdown.’

‘I would say it was a cover-up,’ Hirose told a news conference. ‘It’s extremely regrettable.’

TEPCO instead described the reactors’ condition as less serious ‘core damage’ for two months after the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, wrecked the plant, even though utility officials knew and computer simulations suggested meltdowns had occurred.