Additional decontamination in Kawauchi

October 17, 2014

Additional cleanup starts in a Fukushima village

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20141017_29.html

Oct. 17, 2014 - Updated 11:08 UTC+2

The government has begun additional decontamination work in a village in Fukushima Prefecture where an evacuation order linked to the nuclear accident was lifted this month.

The work is intended to have former residents feel it's safe to return to the district in Kawauchi Village near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Some residents are hesitant about returning due to radiation worries, even after the government said the area has been cleaned up and lifted its order on October 1st.

Government contractors began the additional decontamination work this week. On Friday, they removed soil at 2 still-vacant houses.

Workers reported that radiation readings dropped by more than 90 percent from 2.89 micro-sieverts per hour near the ground just outside a barn at one of the houses.

Contractors are due to decontaminate 23 locations by the end of October. Government officials say not all houses will be subject to the additional work, and that the cleanup will be conducted as needed.

An additional round of decontamination was earlier launched in part of the Miyakoji district in Tamura City in the same prefecture, but not on as large a scale as in Kawauchi Village.

The evacuation order for Miyakoji was lifted in April. The order remains in place for 9 other communities in Fukushima Prefecture.