Dangerous radiation from Fukushima could remain for 10 years

After the deadly earthquake and tsunami in Japan, airborne radiation levels from the Fukushima nuclear power plant are expected to remain at or close to dangerous levels at least until 2022, according to a government report.

Government officials have projected that the annual radiation dosages could exceed 50 millisieverts in and around the towns near the plant, CBS News reports.

CBS News had already reported that a lot of the soil in Fukushima was already heavily contaminated, and had ruined the cultivation of famous local delicacies like shiitake mushrooms.

Utility company TEPCO has taken most of the blame for the situation.

When tsunami hit the plant, it was already stacked with more uranium than it was designed to hold, and the plant had missed several safety checks over the course of a decade.

TEPCO, however, has paid compensation to local farmers, which is not enough to suffice for the lose.

While many have pointed at the government for its handling of the Fukushima disaster, some claimed that the government was at least being realistic about the scope of the crisis there.

In the meantime, it appears the Japanese people do not have to worry about more nuclear disasters.
 
Safety and maintenance concerns have led the country to at least temporarily shut down all but one of its 54 reactors, and the last one will likely shut down by the beginning of May. This could be Japan's first nuclear-free summer since 1966.