Greenpeace reacts to TEPCO claims of accomplishing 1st phase of Fukushima crisis plan

Tokyo, – Responding to today’s announcement by Japanese minister Goshi Hosono that TEPCO and the government had achieved phase 1 of its plan to bring the Fukushima nuclear crisis, the Head of Greenpeace International’s nuclear campaign Jan Beránek said:

“The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis is not under control –TEPCO and the government have failed to meet several of the plans objectives by rushing to meet formal deadlines and give the impression of normality, instead of accepting that this nuclear crisis will take decades. Ongoing problems with contaminated water and reactor stability are not over and current levels of radiation measurement, as well as information transparency are completely inadequate”.

“The government must focus on ensuring that people are properly protected from increased levels of radioactive exposure in contaminated areas, even those lying well beyond current evacuation zones, such as Fukushima city. People need to be given clear information and adequate support to allow them either evacuate or limit their exposure to radiation.”

“Families with children or pregnant women need to be moved to safer places, while widespread, systematic and transparent farm produce and seafood monitoring must be set in motion to avoid further internal exposure from contaminated food, even in areas that seem far from the Fukushima Daiichi reactors.”