There is really nothing new about the latest scandal emanating from Fukushima.

Industry manipulation of radiation data has been a recurrent theme throughout the history of nuclear energy; but this story gives us some idea of one of the ways in which it can be done.

media reports have confirmed that subcontractors were told to cover their dosimeters with lead shields in order to manipulate or underreport their radiation exposures.

Previously in the region surrounding Fukushima, we have seen radiation data to determine evacuation zones deliberately hamstrung in its accuracy and completeness.

At each house the inspectors measured two spots-in the yard and at the front door-at heights of about 20 inches and one yard (one meter). In choosing the spots, the inspectors were warned to stay away from areas such as drains, shrubbery and rainspouts, where radioactive elements tend to gather, potentially skewing results.

In the astronomically costly aftermath of Fukushima, the nuclear industry is desperate to maintain the illusion that it’s product can be cost effective.  It therefore is vital that something be done  to eliminate the “inconvenient truth” that, in the event of accident, vast areas of habitation must be evacuated and lost from productive use. Consequently, the dose of radiation deemed “acceptable” was raised in Japan, and industry bedmate, MIT helpfully produced an extremely flawed study that would seem to support the hypothesis that evacuation might not even be necessary!

Doesn’t that just make you feel a whole lot safer?