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Wide area around Fukushima nuclear plant will be radioactively contaminated for decades

“Given the weather, it is likely that contaminations have occurred beyond that, up to 100 kilometres or so.”…..

Contamination at Fukushima nuclear plant for decades, says France’s Nuclear Safety Authority | Herald Sun, From: NewsCore * March 22, 2011 LOCAL contamination from Japan’s quake-damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant would be a problem that would last “for decades and decades”, France’s Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) said.

“It’s a problem that Japan will have to deal with for decades and decades to come.”

The releases stemmmed in part from deliberate venting of steam and gas, which also contained radioactive particles, to ease pressure in overheating reactor vessels, he said.

Another source was “leaks” of as-yet unknown origin, he said.

“Ground deposits of radioactive particles (around the plant) are significant,” Jean-Luc Godet, in charge of ionising radiation management at the ASN, said.

“The Japanese authorities have not drawn up, or communicated, a map of these deposits, and it is not vain thinking to believe that this (contaminated) zone extends beyond 20 kilometres,” he said, referring to the zone within which local inhabitants have been evacuated.

“Given the weather, it is likely that contaminations have occurred beyond that, up to 100 kilometres or so.”…..

Contamination at Fukushima nuclear plant for decades, says France’s Nuclear Safety Authority | Herald Sun

March 22, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | - Fukushima 2011, environment, Japan