hello John here.. i found the press release
Some places may have to be kept off-limits to residents for a long period of time even after clean-up operations are undertaken,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said at press conference, the newspaper said.
Supporting evacuees and containing radiation in areas surrounding the earthquake-damaged nuclear power plant are among the host of challenges that Japanese authorities face after the devastating March tsunami.
The announcement came after a government survey showed higher-than-expected radiation levels within the evacuation zone around the plant, even after the plant’s operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. JP:9501 +0.23% TKECF +3.14% TKECY -6.70% reported a drop in levels inside the facility.
A report by the Ministry of Science and Education, released over the weekend, found pockets—mainly within three kilometers (nearly two miles) of the plant—where annual radiation exposure could reach 200 to 500 millisieverts.
The government requires residents to evacuate if the cumulative dosage is likely to exceed 20 millisieverts a year. The annual limit for nuclear-plant workers in normal circumstances is 50 millisieverts, and 250 millisieverts in emergency conditions.
U.S.-listed shares of Tepco fell 2.2% on Monday. The beleaguered Tepco also said last Wednesday that efforts to clean up radioactive water in the facility are behind schedule.
Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average JP:NIK -1.04% ended the day 1% lower at 8,628.13 on Monday
