Missing evacuation plans

 April 19, 2014

50% of municipalities lack nuclear evacuation plan

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140420_01.html 

Around half of the municipalities within 30 kilometers from a nuclear power plant have yet to draw up plans for evacuation in the event of a nuclear accident.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority is now conducting safety screening of 17 reactors, about one-third of all the nuclear reactors in the country. It is expected that one or more of them can receive permission to restart operations this summer at the earliest. Currently, all reactors in the country are offline.

But the nuclear authority says only 64 of 135 municipalities within 30 kilometers from a nuclear power station had completed evacuation plans as of the end of March.

In 6 of the 13 zones hosting one or more nuclear plants, none of the municipalities have yet to complete planning.

In Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, a large number of people are still living in shelters and priority is on rebuilding from the 2011 disaster. In Shizuoka and Ibaraki prefectures, nearly one million people live in each of the 30-kilometer zones. This figure makes it difficult to secure facilities where they can take refuge in the event of an accident.

Apr. 19, 2014 - Updated 22:22 UTC