Vladimir Asmolov, curently Vice-CEO of RosAtom state corporation and a former "liquidator" (rescue worker) of Chernobyl disaster, has just returned from Tokyo and gave an exclusive interview to
Izvestia newspaper.
quotes :
"The main problem that prevented to restore water cooling of reactors during 2 or 3 days after eathquake and tsunami were weak initiative of managers, located at Fukushima -Daiichi and strong hierarchy of TEPCO staff. Literally all reports from Daiichi NPP concerning to urgent measures and operations were discussing a very long time and finally disappeared in cabinets of white collars. Nobody wished to take responsibility, making strong and unusual decisions in time. Figuratively speaking, reactors "were asking for water 3 days" but bureaucrats did not make any vitally important decisions.
Prior to our arriving, Japanese workers tried to spray water into damaged reactors from helicopters and water cannons, mounted on firefighter cars, but from a distance of around 50 meters.
It wasn't enough effective just because of much wasted water.
We were discussing with them a tactic of maximal effectivity of delivering water into damaged reactors. Finally, we offered so-called "automated variant" when a water cannon was installed nearby a reactor building together with diesel-generator. So , the device could work a relatively long time, pouring water directly into reactor, without service of humans in dangerous contaminated zone.
Another advice we gave to our collegues is about management of rescue works at the station. The person "in charge" must be on a territory of NPP, gaining vitally important information from a first hand and make urgent decisions and offer important solutions right "on money" and right there. Earlier, the person "in charge" was sitting somewhere in Tokyo, waiting for phone calls about current situation at Fukushima Daiichi NPP." It was a real problem to deliver real-time information, depicted in details, to him."
Source