U.S. Nuclear Industry: Japan Accident Won't Harm Health
WASHINGTON—The U.S. nuclear industry said Thursday it doesn't expect any health problems among Japanese people as a result of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.Tony Pietrangelo, chief nuclear officer of the Nuclear Energy Institute, credited what he described as the Japanese government's speedy response in evacuating a 20-kilometer zone around the stricken nuclear plant.
The 20-kilometer zone, about 12.5 miles, was set the day after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami knocked out power at the plant, causing reactors to overheat. The Japanese government later recommended that those within 30 kilometers of the plant evacuate, and it has extended the evacuation to several small zones outside the 30-kilometer perimeter based on its assessment of radiation exposure.
"They did an excellent job in the emergency response," Mr. Pietrangelo said at a Washington news conference. "That was very well-carried out."
This statement is premature in light of this fact:
ReplyDeleteTokyo Weighing More Evacuations
TOKYO—Japanese government officials said they are considering evacuating more towns affected by radiation, after recent monitoring data showed new "hot spots" of elevated contamination farther away from the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The areas under review include one neighborhood each in two cities, and could affect more than 180 families. The areas fall outside Japan's existing evacuation zone of 30 kilometers, but within the 80-kilometer evacuation zone initially recommended by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
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