U.S. sailors sue TEPCO over nuclear accident

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U.S. Navy sailors have sued Tokyo Electric Power Co. over radiation exposure in the wake of the nuclear accident at its Fukushima No. 1 power plant in northeastern Japan.

In the suit filed with a U.S. federal district court in San Diego, the eight crew members of the USS Ronald Reagan nuclear-powered aircraft carrier said they were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation due to TEPCO’s false information about the dangers of radiation leaks from the plant. The plaintiffs seek $140 million in payments including damages, according to the reports.

The warship was sent to waters off northeastern Japan after the region was devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. At the Fukushima No. 1 plant, three reactors experienced core meltdown following the natural disaster. The plaintiffs participated in Operation Tomodachi, a U.S. military rescue and support operation for tsunami-hit Japan.

In the complaint, the plaintiffs said the U.S. Navy trusted false information about the health and safety from TEPCO, according to the reports. They also claimed that data available only to TEPCO at that time showed that radiation doses in the area where the plaintiffs worked had reached levels received by people who lived at the same distance from the Chernobyl plant and developed cancer after the 1986 accident, according to the reports.

The reports say the plaintiffs also accused the Japanese government of announcing misleading information. They claimed Tokyo kept saying that the accident would not pose any danger of radioactive pollution to the U.S. aircraft carrier or its crew.

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http://www.facebook.com/CajunH2O Ernest Molina

So stupid. 6 of them worked on the flight deck 2 were flying heli missions. Funny how out of all those people only 8 are using a get rich quick scheme considering they can’t sue the navy or us. Last I checked they can’t sue anyone considering they were under orders in an environment where dangerous conditions were expected. Also kinda funny considering they were in a nuclear powered vessel with plenty of measuring equipment. The help was flying radiation measuring ops for crying out loud!!!!!
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BZ7ZTAMG35HXKUTBCEGPTUJTLU Michelle
  
  Why doesn’t Japan Update report about the local trying to blow up another local with a bomb-in-a-bag?! Instead of headlines such as “Marine gives local dirty look.” What was that you said Ernest about “You should watch more local news and learn the language” despite not knowing what I watch or what I speak?
  - http://www.facebook.com/CajunH2O Ernest Molina
    
    Maybe because japan update is more focused on the military related stuff. Most servicemembers /depndants could care less about local culture or anything else why would they care about that? Its called knowing the audience. And what is your issue you are always on this trip and what does your post have to do with this story?? Anyone with any sense honor or decency can see this story is an embarassement yet you bring up something completely off topic. Are you craving attention because none of your posts make sense and 9 times out of 10 are irrelevant. All the local drinks and such stay on local news. Japan update is more geared toward military. Some local stuff slips through but usually only if an american is involved. Most Americans think these 8 sailors are a joke and they are. Stop defending some of these idiot a for the sake of defending them. I still have much respect for my brothers and sisters still in service bit as I said before wrong is wrong.
    - japanupdate
      
      Thank you. I get an email of every comment that gets posted here and it was a breath of fresh air to see that someone else recognizes that JU covers stories that pertain to or of interest to military and other foreigners here.
      - http://www.facebook.com/CajunH2O Ernest Molina
        
        Nothing I need to be thanked for. As a veteran who’s best times were in Okinawa it makes me sick to see idiots forget their honor dignity and tact. Who are too lazy to rise above that initial discrimination and learn the culture and intersect and earn trust and be the good ambassador we are all supposed to be there
      - Dale Yamaguchi
        
        japanupdate, I always notice your “US Military Troublemaker” posts don’t have any factual evidence to make them actual news, but more gossip and tabloid-ish. Anyone who’s looking for a good news source doesn’t need the guilty before proven innocent angle. It’s just a really bad combination of hearsay, negatively charged opinionated reporting, and very little balance in line with the good the US Military is doing the country of Japan.
        
        One of my favorite examples of how your site is geared towards maximizing the damage through words is the description of the woman who was “Raped” a couple months ago on gate 2 street. You characterized her as a “Young Girl”, and classified it as a “Rape of a young girl”, rather than “Possible rape”, or “alleged rape”. Speaking of that rape, why don’t you say anything about the legal outcome of the trial? What about all the other alleged rapes around here? Or is it not as interesting when the military person is found innocent in a court of law administered by the Japanese gov’t?
      - Dale Yamaguchi
        
        Also, if you are going to go ahead and print hearsay, why don’t you guys say anything about her possibly being a delivery health girl? The word on the street is that she got angry that she didn’t get paid in full so she used rape as a weapon. That information is equal in value to the article you posted late last year.
      - japanupdate
        
        If this concerns you so much, you can find contact information in the paper. I have no control over what gets printed. Or you can continue whining in the comments on every article you have an opinion about. I don’t really care.
      - japanupdate
        
        Feel free to read another paper if you truly think the stories here are negatively charged and opinionated. Many of the stories here are translated from Japanese wire services by people who may not be native English speakers. I did some quick searching and can find nothing regarding the outcome of the trial of Christopher Browning and Skyler Dozierwalker and as far as I can tell, it is still ongoing.
      - Dale Yamaguchi
        
        What might be a good idea to preface to those articles is just to label it as translated from an outside source. If what you are saying is fact, then just let it be known. How hard is that?
      - http://www.facebook.com/CajunH2O Ernest Molina
        
        Woah wait how are you going to say its just speculation when the two guys in that case already admitted to the crime? Why do people continue to try and justify or defend people who screw up there ? Or get upset with locals who get mad about it? Again knowing full well if something similar happened stateside (a foreigner raping someone for instance) it would be hell to pay. I was in Okinawa and while it was the best times of my life I also saw firsthand the worst the military has to offer. It isn’t hearsay or speculation. 99% of the time its true. I’ve sat through numerous briefs with CSMs and officers talking about the things that happened on a regular basis. Half of it I never saw in JU. So don’t try to demonize a paper just reporting things that happen. Instead take some of that misguided energy and convince fellow service members there to chill out and live up to their oaths and morals.
      - Dale Yamaguchi
        
        Ernest Molina, please show evidence that they admitted to their crimes. You can’t use newspaper articles as proof, especially with language barriers and the Okinawa media which thrives off hearsay and misquotation. (Yes, many of us Japanese hate our media for this embarrassing habit). Again, you are arrogant enough to assume I am a US Service member. You should always wait until the facts are known to judge anyone or conclude personally on any incident. If you are the type who decides that 99% of rumors are true, you surely don’t need to be part of the justice system for anyone on this earth.
      - http://www.facebook.com/CajunH2O Ernest Molina
        
        OK and how do you know whats fact and what isn’t? And I didn’t assume I was anything. Just made a reference to a post that was made about me in another discussion
      - http://www.facebook.com/CajunH2O Ernest Molina
        
        As far as your status I simply suggest service members should line up to their oaths better and as a former service member in Okinawa I’ve seen firsthand that a lot of people defending them have no right too ad they are far from innocent
      - http://www.facebook.com/CajunH2O Ernest Molina
        
        Oh and just so its known I’ve witnessed and had to report a number of issues myself. And no its not being a rat its living up to the oath I took and being a good ambassador. Makes me so angry how people like you say this crap knowing full well service members do some crazy nonsense on almost a daily basis. I’d be willing to bet with your attitude you do too and just haven’t gotten caught. Or as a few guys I know from when I was there said “its not illegal or we can’t get in trouble unless we are caught” yeah great mindset for a so called professional. First step in fixing a problem is admitting there is one. And I’m get to see anyone…..leaders or enlisted admit that. Hell guess I am as one user already said , a last samurai type. If that’s the case I’m damn proud. Wrong is wrong shouldn’t matter who’s involved. As much as i love japan and enjoyed my time there I’ve called out not only my fellow service members but locals as well.
      - Dale Yamaguchi
        
        Ernest, you are all over the place in your rant. I can’t even pinpoint one thing you are trying to say other than you think you are so “in-tune” to the Japanese culture that you call yourself the “Last Samurai” type. Do you realize that is a fictional movie? I am Japanese so how do you think I’m part of a problem in my own country? Just the fact that you assume I am a young military man posting here shows your depth is very shallow.
  - http://www.facebook.com/CajunH2O Ernest Molina
    
    Oh and I said that without knowing because if you truly paid attention to local news you wouldn’t have so many anti japan all Hall america conspiracy theories.
  - http://www.facebook.com/CajunH2O Ernest Molina
    
    I mean come on. Yes I’m usually outspoken about military incidents in Okinawa mainly because ive seen some if these things first hand and no that most of these guys aren’t innocent. But to completely go off topic like you did and try to in anyway justify it is unacceptable. This is about 8 get rich quick schemers out of a ship of what 4000+ people who followed orders knowing the potential risk without incident. 8 people going well beyond their rights as sailors. I wouldn’t be surprised if they face ucmj for this. Unless they’ve already ended their service. Either way its stupid. If calling them out for obvious bs makes me a “last samurai sympathizer” then so be it. I faced the same discrimination as mist service members when I first got to Okinawa. But I kept my head high got involved in the culture and made some of the best and most loyal friends of my life. All because I stayed true to military values and tried, really tried to be a good ambassador instead of a drunken fool like most. Stuff like this only fuels the anti base sentiment.
  - japanupdate
    
    You mean this story: http://www.japanupdate.com/2013/01/three-injured-as-explosion-rocks-urasoe-home/? You (and a few other people) have done nothing but cherry pick things you want to see and then complain about just how unfair and biased JU is and it is getting old.