Japan partly opening 3 towns in nuclear no-go zone

TOKYO (AP) ? Japan is partly opening areas just inside the evacuation zone around its leaking nuclear power plant for the first time since last year's disasters.

The 20-kilometer (12-mile) perimeter around the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant remains largely intact. But Friday's announcement from the goverment means about 16,000 of Japan's 100,000 nuclear evacuees could be allowed to return home.

Towns in the least contaminated areas of the no-go zone will be rearranged into three categories based on contamination levels.

The new arrangement takes effect in Kawauchi and Tamura starting Sunday and Minamisoma in mid-April, affecting about 16,000 residents. Parts of each town will remain off-limits because of higher exposure levels, and eight other municipalities in the same low-contamination category have not yet decided which areas should be reopened.

Most residents, however, are waiting until the area is further decontaminated and infrastructure restored.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-03-30-AS-Japan-Nuclear/id-77ab942533c544eeb93952446d81eca1

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