USS George Washington NOT Welcome!

Japan has enough problems without USS George Washington compounding its predicament.

A citizens organization in Yokosuka submitted a petition signed by 50,000 residents asking the local government to hold a referendum on whether to admit USS George Washington.

The US nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington arrives at the Yokosuka US naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture on September 25, 2008. AFP/Getty Images. Image may be subject to copyright. 

USS George Washington (CVN-73), a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, has two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors producing about 210MWe—enough to power about 250,000 houses. 

Protesters stage a demostration against entering USS George Washington in Yokosuka, a naval hub just 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Tokyo, on September 25, 2008. Photo from Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images. Image may be subject to copyright.

September 25, 2008. Protesters shout a slogan against U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington at Kannonzaki, near Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, Thursday morning , Sept. 25, 2008. The George Washington will replace the USS Kitty Hawk as the U.S. Navy’s only carrier with a home port outside of the United States. AP Photo by Shizuo Kambayashi. Image may be subject to copyright

 

September 25, 2008. Protesters shout a slogan against U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington at Kannonzaki, near Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, Thursday morning , Sept. 25, 2008. The George Washington will replace the USS Kitty Hawk as the U.S. Navy’s only carrier with a home port outside of the United States. AP Photo by Shizuo Kambayashi. Image may be subject to copyright.

 

 

Protesters shout a slogan against U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington at Kannonzaki, near Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, Thursday morning , Sept. 25, 2008. The George Washington will replace the USS Kitty Hawk as the U.S. Navy’s only carrier with a home port outside of the United States. AP Photo by Shizuo Kambayashi. Image may be subject to copyright!

 

USS George Washington (CVN-73), a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, with two nuclear reactors: A floating Chrnobyl in the backyard?

Nuclear accidents can and do happen. A number of Russian nuclear submarines are known to have experienced nuclear meltdowns. Though the United States Navy has always been reluctant to release information about any similar nuclear accidents on board its carriers or submarine fleet.

Many of the readers still remember the Chernobyl disaster. The legacy of Chernobyl will linger on for at least another 10 generation. In case of a serious accident on George Washington, a lot of people would lose their lives, with many more injured. A large part of Kanagawa Prefecture could effectively become uninhabitable for many generations.

Can Japan, or the U.S., afford this folly?

News Reports:

• Anxiety about nuclear safety as U.S. carrier arrival nears
• Japan police probe 2 explosions near US Navy base  (Sept 13, 2008)

Related Links:

U.S. Navy Fires Captain of Japan-Bound Nuclear Warship 

Houston, We Have a Problem!

The Other Victims of GW Bush’s War Racket

…

Koki Tomiishi, 6, Victim of a Cruel Society

The fate of Koki Tomiishi is by no means unique

“I was pessimistic about the future because of my illness and thought about killing my son, and myself, too,” police quoted, Kaoru Tomiishi, 35, who reportedly murdered her son, Koki, 6.

This is a society, a system, that preys on its weak, injured, diffabled, orphaned.  The “unlucky” have no place here.

Source: Mother admits to killing son in park

5-year-old girl found naked on street dies

Meanwhile a 5-year-old girl, who was found on sunday naked and unconscious on a street in Togane, Chiba Prefecture, arguably one of Japan’s worst prefectures,  died in hospital.  

Yukimaro Narita was a nursery school pupil who lived with her mother Taeko, 37, nearby.  Her T-shirt, shorts, underwear and shoes were found at a parking lot near where she was found.

Source:  http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200809220054.html