Tokyo: Top government officials say some people evacuated from around Japan's stricken nuclear power plant may not to be able to return to their homes for "a long time" due to projections that high contamination levels will linger.
Cabinet members said Monday and over the weekend that the government is considering providing additional support for evacuees, including long-term housing rather than the pre-fabricated temporary homes currently being built.
A government report projected that radiation accumulated over one year at 22 monitoring sites within roughly 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant would be at least five times higher than the international safety standard.
The plant was damaged in March's earthquake and tsunami.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, August 22, 2011, 14:05