» Miyakoji residents showed mixed feelings toward full open of no-go zone

2014/02/25

Residents attending a briefing on a government decision to lift an evacuation order in Miyakoji district showed a mixture of relief and worry.

The decision will on April 1 lift an evacuation order covering the Miyakoji district in Tamura city. The briefing, held by officials from the national and municipal governments, was attended by around 100 people.

Kazuo Endo, a 65-year-old resident whose home is in a part of Miyakoji district with comparatively low radiation levels, acted as representative of the residents at the briefing.

“Without the evacuation order being lifted, home renovation businesses won’t come back,” he said in support of a quick lifting of the evacuation order. He was followed by several calls from others for resumption of farming and measures to combat damage from unfounded rumors about local products being contaminated with radioactive substances.

While only three farming households resumed commercial farming in the district last year, more than 10 are expected to do so this year. Residents involved in farming, commerce and industry showed particular enthusiasm at the briefing about returning to the district.

Meanwhile, Hideyuki Tsuboi, 38, called for decontamination work to be done on a four- to five-meter-high slope by his house. Although decontamination work in residential areas ended in June last year, slopes were exempted over fears the work would cause radioactive materials to escape to other areas, and over concerns for worker safety.

When the time limit for staying in his temporary residence runs out in spring next year, Tsuboi plans to move to the city of Fukushima, where his wife’s parents live. Although he knows that decontamination work has lowered radiation levels in the Miyakoji district, he wants to be sure his children are safe.
<Media Report>
Residents both relieved and worried as decision made to lift nuclear evacuation order (Mainichi Newspaper)

Tags:evacuation, news, restricted zone

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