As if a massive earthquake, tsunami, and (avoidable) nuclear disaster aren’t bad enough, it may be traditional red tape and bureaucratic incompetence now putting tens of thousands remaining in the Fukushima exclusion zone at risk. From the Mayor of Minami Soma-shi:

Here’s a BBC report that predates Mayor Sakurai’s plea:

Arnie Gundersen from Fair Wind Associates explains that the situation may be growing worse. Similar information in Japanese.

Note Arnie’s comment about “chlorine-37”. Last week TEPCO switched from trying to cool exposed spent fuel with seawater. I learned through the grapevine that this decision was made because the “salt” in seawater was heating up the fuel. TEPCO is now barging in massive quantities of fresh water to use in place of seawater, courtesy of the US Navy.

What I can’t figure out is if the switch to fresh water is because the chlorine-37 exacerbates the problem somehow.. or if it is because chlorine-37 generates evidence of a much greater problem that Japan — and by extension the US — would much rather conceal.