US urges American citizens near Japanese power plant to evacuate
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By NewsCore
March 16, 2011 11:16 AMTOKYO -- The US on Wednesday advised all American citizens living within 50 miles of the troubled Fukushima nuclear power plant to evacuate, or otherwise stay indoors if they are unable to evacuate safely.
"The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Department of Energy and other technical experts in the US government have reviewed the scientific and technical information they have collected from assets in country, as well as what the government of Japan has disseminated, in response to the deteriorating situation at the Fukushima nuclear power plant," US ambassador to Japan John V. Roos said in a statement.
"Consistent with the NRC guidelines that apply to such a situation in the United States, we are recommending, as a precaution, that American citizens who live within 50 miles of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant evacuate the area or to take shelter indoors if safe evacuation is not practical," he continued.
"We want to underscore that there are numerous factors in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami, including weather, wind direction and speed, and the nature of the reactor problem that affect the risk of radioactive contamination within this 50 mile radius or the possibility of lower-level radioactive materials reaching greater distances," the statement added.
The new recommendations come after the US military increased its own operational exclusion zone around the Fukushima plant to 50 miles.
The Japanese government has thus far only recommended its citizens living within a 12.4-mile range of the complex to evacuate.
Print this Article Email this Article Text Size: A | A | A
By NewsCore
March 16, 2011 11:16 AMTOKYO -- The US on Wednesday advised all American citizens living within 50 miles of the troubled Fukushima nuclear power plant to evacuate, or otherwise stay indoors if they are unable to evacuate safely.
"The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Department of Energy and other technical experts in the US government have reviewed the scientific and technical information they have collected from assets in country, as well as what the government of Japan has disseminated, in response to the deteriorating situation at the Fukushima nuclear power plant," US ambassador to Japan John V. Roos said in a statement.
"Consistent with the NRC guidelines that apply to such a situation in the United States, we are recommending, as a precaution, that American citizens who live within 50 miles of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant evacuate the area or to take shelter indoors if safe evacuation is not practical," he continued.
"We want to underscore that there are numerous factors in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami, including weather, wind direction and speed, and the nature of the reactor problem that affect the risk of radioactive contamination within this 50 mile radius or the possibility of lower-level radioactive materials reaching greater distances," the statement added.
The new recommendations come after the US military increased its own operational exclusion zone around the Fukushima plant to 50 miles.
The Japanese government has thus far only recommended its citizens living within a 12.4-mile range of the complex to evacuate.