The Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Ministry maintains ‘off site centers’ near nuclear plants.  The centers are government run emergency response units based ‘off site’ of the privately run nuclear plants.

The public news station, NHK, got hold of a NISA report that admitted that almost all of their off site centers were dysfunctional at the beginning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

NISA operates 22 nuclear emergency response centers throughout Japan.  On 11 March 2011, seven hours after the 9.0 quake, only three of those centers were staffed.  The off site response unit for Fukushima Daiichi had been shut down by the earthquake.  NISA claims all power generating capabilities, communications and other critical functions had been lost, making the off site response unit ineffective.

But, surprisingly, after it became clear there was a problem at the Fukushima Daiichi nuke plant, NISA decided to move the emergency response unit away from the stricken plant.  Hello, what’s the purpose of the ‘off site centers’ emergency response units then?  NISA officials said they were afraid their off site center building was not radiation proof!  More proof of lack of planning and foresight by government officials.