Residents permitted home near quake plant
Source: Agencies |
October 1, 2011, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
JAPAN will let children and pregnant women return to certain areas near the Fukushima nuclear plant, the trade minister said yesterday, following an improvement in living conditions after a huge earthquake and tsunami in March.
Schools have been shut in these areas located within the 20-30 kilometer radius of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, where about 60,000 people lived prior to the radiation leaks from the nuclear plant.
Some 30,000 left, a spokesman at the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said.
"We have taken a sound step towards reconstruction in areas suffering damages from the nuclear disaster," Trade Minister Yukio Edano, who oversees economic damage from the world's worst nuclear disaster in 25 years.
"We recognize those who evacuated from this zone are concerned about radiation contamination and infrastructure," he said, adding that the government will help clean these areas and organize social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals.
Local governments and volunteers have been working to reduce high levels of radioactivity in these areas such as by removing radioactive top soil, but worries remain among residents over long-term health effects.
About 80,000 people were forced to evacuate from the 20km radius no-go zone surrounding the plant.
Another 10,000 have fled a different zone in nearby towns where levels of radiation were high.
Some experts have criticized the complicated way the government set up evacuation zones.
"The basics of crisis management are to draw a clear line and not to leave any unclear zones," said Tatsuhiko Kodama, who heads the University of Tokyo's Radioisotope Center.
Experts have said the cleanup could cost tens of billions of dollars, while Japan must also figure out where to store and dispose of the massive amounts of nuclear waste from decontamination efforts.
The government aims to halve radiation over two years in contaminated areas, relying on both the natural drop in radiation over time and human efforts.
Schools have been shut in these areas located within the 20-30 kilometer radius of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, where about 60,000 people lived prior to the radiation leaks from the nuclear plant.
Some 30,000 left, a spokesman at the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said.
"We have taken a sound step towards reconstruction in areas suffering damages from the nuclear disaster," Trade Minister Yukio Edano, who oversees economic damage from the world's worst nuclear disaster in 25 years.
"We recognize those who evacuated from this zone are concerned about radiation contamination and infrastructure," he said, adding that the government will help clean these areas and organize social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals.
Local governments and volunteers have been working to reduce high levels of radioactivity in these areas such as by removing radioactive top soil, but worries remain among residents over long-term health effects.
About 80,000 people were forced to evacuate from the 20km radius no-go zone surrounding the plant.
Another 10,000 have fled a different zone in nearby towns where levels of radiation were high.
Some experts have criticized the complicated way the government set up evacuation zones.
"The basics of crisis management are to draw a clear line and not to leave any unclear zones," said Tatsuhiko Kodama, who heads the University of Tokyo's Radioisotope Center.
Experts have said the cleanup could cost tens of billions of dollars, while Japan must also figure out where to store and dispose of the massive amounts of nuclear waste from decontamination efforts.
The government aims to halve radiation over two years in contaminated areas, relying on both the natural drop in radiation over time and human efforts.
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