Japan encourages voluntary evacuations near stricken nuclear plant

[jpak]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/25/japan.nuclear.disaster/?hpt=T2

Japan's government will offer transportation and other assistance to those in a buffer zone around the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, a top official said Friday, noting these people have been put in a "difficult" situation.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said authorities are encouraging people living between 20 and 30 kilometers (12.5 and 19 miles) from the plant to leave the area voluntarily because of the challenges they "have faced in their daily lives."

Those who live closer already have been ordered to evacuate because of dangerously high levels of radiation.

A primary challenge for that region, he said, has had to do with commerce -- namely, the difficulty in getting needed materials in and out of the area.

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[Junkdrawer]

1. Japan may not be able to afford to tell their people the truth....

Atomic Cleanup Cost Goes to Japan's Taxpayers, May Spur Liability Shift

Japan’s taxpayer, not the nuclear industry or insurers, will cover most of the cleanup cost from the worst accident since Chernobyl, a financial rescue that may spur moves by nations to make companies assume more liability.

Tokyo Electric Power Co., in its 13th day fighting to avert a meltdown at its Fukushima plant 220 kilometers (135 miles) north of Tokyo, at most is required to cover third-party damages of 120 billion yen ($2.1 billion) under Japanese law. Should the government declare the magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami that flooded its reactors an “exceptional” act of God, the utility may be off the hook in paying compensation that may be demanded by injured workers, farmers and shareholders.

...

The Japanese government may pay as much as 1 trillion yen to compensate businesses and individuals for damages from the nuclear accident, or eight times the maximum cost for Tokyo Electric, the Tokyo Shimbun reported on March 12, without saying where it got the information


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-23/nuclear-cleanup-cost-goes-to-japan-s-taxpayers-may-spur-liability-shift.html

Imagine if today's Evacuation Zone is tomorrow's Permanent Relocation Zone.

[kristopher]

3. That is so screwed up.

To say that it adds insult to injury just doesn't capture it.

[Kurska]

2. What was that advice the Chernobyl survivor gave to the Japanese?

RUN RUN FAR AWAY.