New nuclear evacuation standard to be delayed

A decision on a new evacuation guideline for nuclear accidents in Japan will be delayed after experts questioned the basis of the draft guideline proposed by the country's nuclear regulatory body.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority had commissioned a panel of experts to draw up new standards based on its secretariat proposal.

The authority's draft calls for the immediate evacuation of residents within 5 to 30 kilometers of a nuclear power plant when radiation levels reach 500 microsieverts per hour. It also calls for temporary evacuation within a week in areas with radiation levels of 20 microsieverts per hour or more.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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