All posts by Hutchins AAron

Born in Deutschland 1965, hometown was Bütthart, parents were not U.S. government employees. However, when father was tricked into joining the U.S. Air Force Civil Service, in 1969, with the promise that we could remain in Germany, we were promptly shipped off to Iran. Due to one of my Iranian educators being disappeared, along with her husband, by the U.S. ally Shah of Iran's Israeli & U.S. created Savak (for the then official terrorist act of promoting the idea that women can vote), and due to my U.S. citizen mother being placed on Savak's Terrorist Arrest List (for supporting the idea that women should vote, at that time the U.S. ally Shah of Iran did not allow women to vote, now they can) we left Iran for the United States in 1973, literally in the middle of the night. At the U.S. Embassy airbase the CIA operated Gooney Bird (C-47) was so packed with other U.S. citizens fleeing our ally Iran (because the Shah gave the OK to arrest any U.S. citizen for such terrorist acts as promoting the concept of voting) that we were turned away by the Loadmaster and had to take a chance on a civilian flight out of Tehran's airport. My father told me he and my mother had three culture shocks; first when they arrived in Germany as civilians, then after being shipped off to Iran as U.S. government employees, then again returning to the United States as unemployed civilians (because so much had changed in the U.S. while they were gone, their only news source was the U.S. Armed Forces Radio & Television Service which heavily censored information about the home front). Since I graduated high school in 1982 I've worked for U.S. government contractors and state & local government agencies (in California), convenience store manager in California, retail/property management in Georgia, California and Idaho. Spent the 1990s in the TV news business producing number one rated local news programs in California, Arizona and Idaho. 14+ years with California and Idaho Army National Guard and the U.S. Air Force. Obtained a BA degree in International Studies from Idaho State University at the age of 42. Unemployed since 2015, so don't tell me the economy has recovered.
Fukushima

Taxpayers will be burdened with Corporation’s nuclear failure

”The state will take on the responsibility of providing support for renewal.”-Kan Naoto, Prime Minister

Japan’s Prime Minister Kan Naoto said Japan’s government (meaning taxpayers) will take responsibility in recovery and rebuilding efforts after the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi.

Many evacuees told Kan, in a written statement, that nothing is being done to help them with health care, education for evacuated children, daily expenses and employment. But, Kan said Japan must first bring the still critical situation at Fukushima Daiichi under control.

Fukushima

Liquid Glass seems to be working to stop Radioactive Water Leak

Tokyo Electric Power Company is using a chemical they call “liquid glass” to try and stop the leak of highly radioactive water from Reactor 2 pit, at Fukushima Daiichi.

TEPCo thinks the leak is coming from pipes under the reactors. They injected liquid glass (sodium silicate) into the gravel under the pit for Reactor 2. At this point the water flow has actually decreased, but it’s not known for sure if it’s from the liquid glass or that the source is finally running dry.

TEPCo will also use silt barriers in the water, in front of Reactor 2’s water intake. Radiation is also leaking from the intake, and they hope the silt barriers will block the radiation from spreading in the ocean.

Fukushima

Evacuees demand to be allowed to return to their homes within Radiation Zone!

People have petitioned the Japanese government to let them go back to their contaminated homes, to take care of things like livestock and pets.

After the 11 March disasters that damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the government ordered people within a 20 kilometers radius from the plant to evacuate, and those within 20-30km to stay indoors.

One man, who went back in violation of evacuation orders, said livestock and pets are wandering through the streets of towns.

Prime Minister Kan Naoto told the people that the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster must be brought under control first. Many of the evacuees say they were led to believe they would be returning home by now.

Fukushima

Cesium-137 found in fish off Ibaraki, Japan!

Kyodo News reporting that cesium-137 has been found in young sand lance fish. The levels are above government safe limits.

The young sand lance is an eel like fish.

Local government officials ordered a stop to the fishing. Ibaraki Prefecture is just south of Fukushima Prefecture.

Fukushima

High Tides to hit nuke disaster area, double whammy!

NHK weather report just said that the coast line, north and south of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, will experience high tides. A high tide advisory in effect.

The double whammy is that the land has sunk due to the 9.0 quake, and there is now huge amounts of cesium-137 in the water.

That means when the high tides hit, they’ll go further inland, and take cesium-137 inland as well. The land, along the coast, is already getting hit with airborne radiation, now it’ll be flooded with radioactive water.

Fukushima

Cesium-137 1.1 million times more than Japanese limits in the Pacific Ocean!

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant operator, TEPCo, says iodine-131 has hit 7.5 million times the set limits in the Pacific Ocean!  But even worse, cesium-137 is at 1.1 million times set limits!

Iodine-131 has a half life of eight days.  Cesium-137 has a half life of 30 years!

The report was made by Japan’s NHK TV.  Tokyo Electric Power Company has been in trouble before for faulty radiation data.  Later this month radiation readings are going to be handled by third party organizations, not TEPCo.

Fukushima, Idaho

EPA says Iodine-131 in Idaho Drinking water

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says they have found trace amounts of iodine-131 in drinking water in the states of Washington and Idaho.

The samples were taken last week, at Boise, Idaho and Richland, Washington. The results were just released.

The EPA also says they picked up trace amounts of radiation in rain water.

I checked the Idaho RadNet site and, so far, there is no mention of the water tests by the EPA.  The information is in the most recent EPA press release.

Business/Economics, U.S.

“Default by the United States is unthinkable.” but we’re getting really close

Timothy Geithner is warning the U.S. Congress that if they don’t get their act together soon, the United States government will hit its legal limit on debt.

That could mean defaulting on loans owed to the rest of the world.  The Treasury Department is forecasting that the debt limit will be reached between April 15 and May 31.

Some politicians want to reduce spending to prevent default. Others want to legally increase the debt limit.

Surprisingly, Geithner and Ben Bernankie want the debt limit raised.  That would only mean getting taxpayers deeper in debt.

Geithner said the Treasury has some actions it can take, until Congress figures out what it’ll do, but that will only delay the debt crisis until July 8.

Some Congressmen have asked if selling off the country’s Federal Student Loans, or selling off gold reserves, would help.  Geithner basically said no way: “To attempt a fire sale of financial assets in an effort to buy time for Congress to act would be damaging to financial markets and the economy and would undermine confidence in the United States.”

In other words: Time to get your rear in gear, Congress!

Business/Economics, International

TEPCO offers piddly $12.00 per person compensation for nuke disaster

Tokyo Electric said it has started paying Japanese municipalities directly affected by the nuclear disaster.

One town, Namie, refused the money.  Basically it is an insult, because when they divided the TEPCO offer by the number of their population and it amounted to only $12.00 per person. Namie officials say money is needed, but it’s obvious TEPCO’s offer wont help anyone.

Fukushima

Japanese Bullet Train set to resume full service by end of April

East Japan Railway Co said it hopes to have all its bullet trains running full service routes by the end of April.

The 11 March, 9.0 quake damaged East Japan Railway rail lines in at least 1,200 places. About 45% of their routes are operational.

In other parts of Japan the problem is still lack of electrical power. That will continue for longer than expected, due to the fact that at least three nuclear power plants are shut down, not counting Fukushima Daiichi.

In northern Honshu, as I posted in an earlier report, 40 year old Diesel engines were brought out of retirement, saved from the scrap heap, to run supplies into the areas of devastation.  That may not last long either, due to lack of fuel.