Only 30% Return to Fukushima After Evacuation Order Lifted – Survey RIA Novosti, PUBLISHED 13.05.2014 A recent survey has revealed that only 32 of 112 families (78 people from 32 households) who were evacuated from the city of Tamura in the disaster-hit Fukushima Prefecture have returned to their homes a month after an evacuation order was lifted. “We can’t deny that people of younger generations are concerned about radiation. We want to consider countermeasures by taking into account the opinions of residents,” local official Takashi Yoshida was quoted as saying by the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper on Monday. According to the survey, over half of those who returned to Fukushima were 60 years old or greater. Residents younger than 40 accounted for only 10 percent of returnees. And many families were forced to separate as only some family members wanted to return. Despite the fact that Japanese authorities have lifted the evacuation order in some areas surrounding the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant on April 1, residents are afraid of returning home because of radiation contamination. According to a report issued last month by the Japanese government, radiation levels in Tamura have dropped to under 20 millisieverts per year, but still exceed the long-term target of 1 millisievert per year. In March 2011, Japan was hit by a massive magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami, claiming more than 15,000 lives and causing a number of explosions at the Fukushima plant. In what has been dubbed the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, three of the plant’s reactors underwent a partial meltdown as radiation leaked into the atmosphere, soil and seawater. Topics: NPP Fukushima Daiichi Other news: Hungary Enacts Law to Expand Nuclear Power With Russian Aid Hungary’s president has signed a bill into law to expand a nuclear power plant in the country with Russian assistance. Hungary Lawmakers OK Russia Nuclear Plant Deal Russia will provide Hungary a loan of up to 10 billion euros ($13.5 billion) - around 80 percent of construction costs. Russia to Lend Hungary $13.7Bln for Nuclear Plant The deal was announced during a state visit to Moscow by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and was hailed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. |
Hero of the day We are currently working with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) on this approach, which was submitted in response to their February 2012 call for alternative proposals. We appreciate that the UK is in the early stages of their policy development activities and are pleased to be involved in such important work. INTERVIEW
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