nuclear-news

In shadow of Fukushima nuclear plant, a town withers away Asahi Shimbu, By TAKURO NEGISHI/ Staff Writer, 27 Feb 14 FUTABA, Fukushima Prefecture–A calendar showing March 2011 still hangs on a wall, while a clock suspended from the ceiling remains stuck at 2:50. Documents and other files are scattered on the floor around desks and shelves. Potted plants withered and died long ago.

Outside, on the rooftop of the Futaba town office, one can clearly see the isolation and desolation of this dying town where time has stopped.

For the first time since the aftermath of March 2011 accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, an Asahi Shimbun reporter entered the town office of Futaba on Feb. 25…….

About 96 percent of Futaba, including areas around the town office, has been designated a difficult-to-return zone because annual accumulated radiation levels exceed 50 millisieverts.

The zone is surrounded by barricades, making it impossible for people to enter freely.

Wearing a mask and a white protective gear that covered my entire body and carrying a dosimeter, I entered Futaba after obtaining permission from the town office. A town official, who guided me around Futaba, wore similar clothing.

After leaving the town office, we headed to the Nagatsuka district in the central part of Futaba, where there were no signs of residents.
All 6,400 residents have fled the town………
The Futaba swimming beach was crowded with about 85,000 people in 2010. The seaside facility operated by the town office was damaged by the 2011 tsunami.

From a higher floor of the facility, we could see the Pacific Ocean extend to the horizon and gentle waves hitting the beach……

Peering over the barricade, however, we saw withered grass at places where houses were washed away by the tsunami. Infrastructure improvements and decontamination work have not made progress.

Hiraiwa’s house is located in the area. Nothing has changed (since May 2013),” he said.http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201402260048