'The radiation levels at Fukushima Daiichi are now too high for staff from the Tokyo Electric .....'

[marmar]

from the Guardian UK's continually updated live coverage:





12.07pm: The radiation levels at Fukushima Daiichi are now too high for staff from the Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates the nuclear power plant, to stay in control rooms there, according to Kyodo news.

11.58am: Haroon Siddique has been speaking to Bob Skelton, from Cambridge University's Chemical Engineering department. Skelton previously worked in the nuclear industry and said that the levels of radiation people are being exposed to at this stage should not have lasting health effects.

"The levels of radiation are significantly above background but the risk to health of the general population at this stage does not appear to be significant," Skelton said.

"It looks as though some workers have been exposed to radiation doses well in excess of what would normally be permitted but probably not enough at this stage to cause long term health effects."
Listen!

The workers who have been exposed to high levels of radiation would be withdrawn from the plant and, because radiation levels are measured over time, Skelton said they should eventually return to more normal levels. He also said that a meltdown might not be cataclysmic. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/15/japan-nuclear-crisis-tsunami-live

[lbrtbell]

1. People would respect them so much more

If they had just admitted the truth days ago, and evacuated a lot more people in the first place. People don't panic if you tell them to leave as a precautionary measure. It's when they lose faith in their government and other authorities, that distrust and fear sets in.

Also, fewer people exposed to radiation equals fewer lawsuits later.

[Statistical]

2. They did evacuate people are a precaution. n/t