nuclear-news

Withholding of radiation readings exposes gov’t push for evacuees’ return, Mainichi, 29 Mar 14, Recent revelations that a Cabinet Office team delayed the release of radiation measurements from three Fukushima Prefecture areas, planning to release them with lower, recalculated results, have exposed a government push to have residents’ return to nuclear disaster-hit areas.

Experts have raised questions about the government’s move, suggesting that officials intended to send residents back to those areas from the outset and that they manipulated data to achieve that purpose.

The three areas — the Miyakoji district of the city of Tamura, the village of Kawauchi and the village of Iitate — remain subject to evacuation orders imposed after the 2011 Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant meltdowns. The government plans to lift these orders in the near future. According to one source familiar with the measurement process, the original radiation exposure readings from new, individual dosimeters were higher than expected, prompting the Cabinet Office team to withhold the results. Officials feared the higher readings would discourage residents from returning……… http://mainichi.jp/english/english/perspectives/news/20140327p2a00m0na009000c.html