Japan expands evacuation areas around crippled nuclear plant

TOKYO, April 11 (Kyodo) – Japan on Monday expanded evacuation areas around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was crippled by the killer earthquake and tsunami a month ago, due to high amounts of cumulative radioactive materials beyond the evacuation zone of a 20-kilometer radius from the plant. The government’s decision comes amid persistent calls from the international community to expand the government-designated evacuation areas due to health risks of continued exposure to radioactive substances. At present, those who live in the 20-km range must evacuate while those in the 20-30 km radius ring are asked to stay indoors. Top government spokesman Yukio Edano told a press conference that accumulated radioactive substances have been observed in the newly designated areas due to weather and geographical conditions and while he said locals need not evacuate immediately, they should do so in around one month. ”There is a possibility that if people continue living in these affected areas for six months or one year, accumulated radiation quantities would become even higher,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano said. The municipalities covered under the new evacuation order are Katsurao, Namie, Iitate, part of Kawamata and part of Minamisoma. Based on radiation monitoring data, all are at risk of receiving a dose of 20 millisieverts in radioactive materials during the course of a year from March 11. … Even before Monday’s government announcement to expand evacuation areas, residents of Iitate, with a population of about 6,000, were clamoring for evacuation, after the IAEA said it observed high levels of radiation there and Western media began reporting about the village’s plight. Iitate Mayor Norio Kanno, whose village is located about 40 kilometers northwest of the plant and is next to Kawamata, said in a hastily convened meeting with officials, ”I regret that the entire village has to be evacuated but this cannot be helped.” …