TEPCO asked to pull workers from nuclear plant: report

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) asked the Japanese government earlier this week to permit a full withdrawal of its employees from the troubled nuclear plant now facing fears of a meltdown, a daily said Friday. TEPCO had first concluded that it would be "difficult" for its workers to continue to restore the Fukushima No.1 nuclear plant, where high levels of radiation have been monitored, the Mainichi Shimbun said. TEPCO sounded out the plan on Monday after explosions and fire hit the nuclear reactors crippled by a massive earthquake and tsunami. But Prime Minister Naoto Kan turned down the request, telling TEPCO: "Withdrawal is impossible. It's not a matter of whether TEPCO collapses. It's a matter of whether Japan goes wrong," according to Mainichi. An unnamed official related to TEPCO, however, was quoted by Mainichi as saying: "If withdrawal is unacceptable, it's as if (Kan) said 'Do it until you are exposed to radiation and die." Up to 5,000 people used to work at the plant. TEPCO has not announced the number of employees still working inside the facility. Some news reports say around 70 people are working now.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) asked the Japanese government earlier this week to permit a full withdrawal of its employees from the troubled nuclear plant now facing fears of a meltdown, a daily said Friday. TEPCO had first concluded that it would be "difficult" for its workers to continue to restore the Fukushima No.1 nuclear plant, where high levels of radiation have been monitored, the Mainichi Shimbun said. TEPCO sounded out the plan on Monday after explosions and fire hit the nuclear reactors crippled by a massive earthquake and tsunami. But Prime Minister Naoto Kan turned down the request, telling TEPCO: "Withdrawal is impossible. It's not a matter of whether TEPCO collapses. It's a matter of whether Japan goes wrong," according to Mainichi. An unnamed official related to TEPCO, however, was quoted by Mainichi as saying: "If withdrawal is unacceptable, it's as if (Kan) said 'Do it until you are exposed to radiation and die." Up to 5,000 people used to work at the plant. TEPCO has not announced the number of employees still working inside the facility. Some news reports say around 70 people are working now.