Environmentalist group Greenpeace says that the efforts by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) and the Japanese central government to decontaminate the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are not enough, even as the government is now considering to let some of the residents return to their homes in the vicinity of the crippled plant.
According to the group, they conducted tests in the 20 km no-go zone around the plant and the radiation levels are still too high for it to be considered safe. They also conducted a survey on the decontamination efforts and even as it has been effective for most of the major areas in the city, other areas like public roads that aren’t used much, farmlands and mountain areas are still highly irradiated. According to their radiation protection adviser, Jan Vande Putte, the decontaminated areas are just “islands” and “corridors” amidst the huge area that still has high contamination levels. He emphasized that if the residents do return home, it is not realistic that they will stay away from those areas that are still polluted.
He stated that decontamination is extremely difficult and takes “enormous dedication” in order to fully get rid of all the radiation. Residents should be duly informed about the risks should they return home and so they can wisely choose whether or not to do so. He also suggested that the financial aid from the government should continue no matter what the resident’s decision may be. There are still tens of thousands of residents who are unable to return to their homes after the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima in the aftermath of the 2011 disasters. It is considered the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
[ via Phys.org ]