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9/19/11 (AEIN) A recent study conducted in an area forty kilometers (25 miles) away from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan has found high levels of radioactive cesium in the soil. Eliminating radiation from the soil would require the removal of three centimeters of soil, according to a Radio Japan broadcast on Monday.
Even after removing the top 1.2 inches of the soil, some cesium would remain in the environment. Another major obstacle is that neither Tokyo Electric Power Company nor the Japanese government has devised a method to safely dispose of the contaminated soil. Decontamination work will not begin on a widespread basis until January or later.
Meanwhile, Radio Japan also reported on Monday that the government has allowed additional residents to return to the evacuated Fukushima Daiichi exclusion zone for short periods of time to remove personal possessions. Authorities intend to check items for high levels of radiation before allowing residents to remove them.