風知草：株価より汚染防止だ＝山田孝男

毎日新聞の力作。
その通りだと思いました。
連続地中壁の施工には、様々な工法があります。
さらに地下水を封じ込めるのに、連続地中壁の高さは少なくとも５０ｍ以上となります。
早急に工法を検討して着工しないと、１年でも危ないくらいなのです。
東電の技術者が一番知っているはずです。
まさに、大本営発表。
（スラチャイ）

(Mainichi Japan) June 20, 2011
Preventing radiation contamination more important than TEPCO's stock prices
風知草：株価より汚染防止だ＝山田孝男

Some people have suggested that I start to write about something other than nuclear power plants, but with the situation as it is, that's not going to happen.
　そろそろ原発以外の話題をとり上げたらどうかと心配してくださる向きもあるが、そうもいかない。

The crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant is still not over.
福島原発震災は収束どころか、

Far from it, there are signs that it is getting worse.
拡大の兆しが見える。

I can't stand by and look at the political situation without focusing on this serious event.
この大事と無関係に政局を展望することはできない。

One figure who has entered the public spotlight in the wake of the nuclear crisis is 61-year-old Hiroaki Koide, an assistant professor at the Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute and a controversialist in the anti-nuclear debate.
　京大原子炉実験所の小出裕章助教（６１）といえば、いま最も注目されている反原発の論客の一人だ。

A specialist in nuclear power, Koide has garnered attention as a persistent researcher who has sounded the alarm over the dangers of this form of energy without seeking fame.
原発が専門だが、名利を求めず、原発に警鐘を鳴らし続けてきた不屈の研究者として脚光を浴びている。

In a TV Asahi program on June 16, Koide made the following comment:
　その小出が１６日、テレビ朝日の番組に登場し、こう発言して反響がひろがった。

"As far as I can tell from the announcements made by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the nuclear fuel that has melted down inside reactors at the Fukushima nuclear plant has gone through the bottom of the containers, which are like pressure cookers, and is lying on the concrete foundations, sinking into the ground below.
　「東京電力の発表を見る限り、福島原発の原子炉は、ドロドロに溶けた核燃料が、圧力鍋のような容器の底を破ってコンクリートの土台にめり込み、地下へ沈みつつある。

We have to install a barrier deep in the soil and build a subterranean dam as soon as possible to prevent groundwater contaminated with radioactive materials from leaking into the ocean."
一刻も早く周辺の土中深く壁をめぐらせて地下ダムを築き、放射性物質に汚染された地下水の海洋流出を食い止めねばならない」

His comment captured public interest and when I asked a high-ranking government official about it, the official said that construction of an underground dam was indeed being prepared.
　さっそく政府高官に聞いてみると、いかにも地下ダムの建設を準備中だという。

But when I probed further, I found that the project was in limbo due to opposition from TEPCO.
　ところが、さらに取材すると、東電の反対で計画が宙に浮いている実態がわかった。

Sumio Mabuchi, an aide to Prime Minister Naoto Kan who is dealing with nuclear power plant issues, holds the same concerns as those expressed by Koide and has sought an announcement on construction of an underground dam, but TEPCO has resisted such a move.
原発担当の馬淵澄夫首相補佐官は小出助教と同じ危機感を抱き、地下ダム建設の発表を求めたが、東電が抵抗している。

The reason is funding.
　理由は資金だ。

It would cost about 100 billion yen to build such a dam, but there is no guarantee that the government would cover the amount.
ダム建設に１０００億円かかる。国が支払う保証はない。

If an announcement were made and TEPCO were seen as incurring more liabilities, then its shares would fall once again, and the company might not be able to make it through its next general shareholders' meeting.
公表して東電の債務増と受け取られれば株価がまた下がり、株主総会を乗り切れぬというのである。

In my possession, I have a copy of the guidelines that TEPCO presented to the government on how to handle press releases.
　筆者の手もとに、東電が政府に示した記者発表の対処方針と応答要領の写しがある。

The title of the document, dated June 13, is "Underground boundary' -- Regarding the press."
６月１３日付で表題は「『地下バウンダリ』プレスについて」。バウンダリ（ｂｏｕｎｄａｒｙ）は境界壁、つまり地下ダムだ。プレスは記者発表をさしている。

It is split into five categories on how to handle the announcement of construction of an underground boundary.
　対処方針は５項目。

In essence, it says, "We are considering the issue under the guidance of prime ministerial aide Mabuchi, but we don't want to be seen as having excess liabilities, so we're keeping the details confidential."
要約すれば「馬淵補佐官ご指導の下、検討を進めているが、市場から債務超過と評価されたくないので詳細は内密に」だ。

Possibly the silliest response to envisaged questions from reporters is TEPCO's suggestion for a reply to the question, "Why hasn't construction been quickly started?"
　応答要領の中でも愚答の極みは「なぜ早く着工せぬ」という質問に対するもので、ぬけぬけとこう書いている。

The response reads: "Underground water flows at a speed of about 5 to 10 centimeters a day, so we have more than a year before it reaches the shore."
　「地下水の流速は１日５センチメートルから１０センチメートルなので、沿岸に達するまで１年以上の時間的猶予があると考えている」

Initially an announcement on the underground barrier was due to be made to the press on June 14, but it was put off until after TEPCO's general shareholders meeting on June 28.
　記者発表は１４日のはずだったが、東電の株主総会（２８日）の後へ先送りされた。

In the meantime, the state of the nuclear power plant continues to deteriorate and radioactive materials are eerily spreading and contaminating the area around the plant.
　福島原発の崩壊は続き、放射性物質による周辺の環境汚染が不気味に広がっている。

Which is more important: upholding share prices or stopping pollution?
株価の維持と汚染防止のどちらが大切か。

The Japanese political and business world has sunk to a level where it can't even answer such a question.
その判断もつかない日本政財界の現状である。

One government official recently commented, "I think I can understand now why the leaders during the war couldn't precisely and steadily accomplish their strategies."
　政府当局者の一人がこう言った。「あの（太平洋）戦争でなぜ、指導部が的確、着実に作戦を遂行できなかったか。いまは分かる気がします」

Today, announcements from the "imperial headquarters" -- namely TEPCO's releases on its roadmap for bringing the nuclear crisis under control, which nobody believes -- are still being issued.
　誰も信じない、東電の「収束に向けた工程表」という大本営発表が続いている。

Some people have compared Kan to former Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, because he yells at his subordinates over the smallest details.
　菅直人を東条英機になぞらえる向きがある。万事に細かく部下を怒鳴るからだ。

Tojo resigned in July 1944, after the fall of Saipan, when it had become likely that Japan would lose the war.
東条はサイパン島陥落で敗戦濃厚となった１９４４年７月退陣。

His successor, Kuniaki Koiso, was in office for 8 1/2 months before being replaced by Kantaro Suzuki. After this, two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan and then the war ended after a decision from the Emperor.
後継首相の小磯国昭が８カ月半。さらに鈴木貫太郎に代わり、原爆を二つ落とされ、天皇の聖断を仰いで戦争は終わった。

Why wasn't an armistice quickly implemented to put an end to further wartime damage?
　なぜ、早く停戦して戦禍の拡大を防げなかったか。

It was because impossible solutions to Japan's situation in the war were flying about, common sense was lost, and the government was slow to reach a decision.
無理筋の戦局打開案が飛び交い、常識が見失われ、国の意思決定が遅れたからだ。

Yet the same sort of situation has arisen today.
今と似ている。

The most important issue now is preventing contamination from radiation.
いま最も大事な課題は放射能汚染阻止だ。

We need leaders who can focus on the core issue without being swayed by empty theory.
空論に惑わされず、核心へ集中するリーダーシップが求められている。

(By Takao Yamada, Expert Senior Writer)
（敬称略）（毎週月曜日掲載）

毎日新聞　2011年6月20日　東京朝刊