The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
April 7, 2011

Japan Could Widen Evacuation Zone 
----------------------------------



Japan is considering extending the evacuation zone surrounding the
tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility. The original
12.4-mile evacuation zone was based on the assumption of short-term
radiation exposures risks, but the emergency is nearing its fifth week.
Tokyo Electric Power Company says workers have begun streaming nitrogen
gas into the plant’s No. 1 reactor to reduce the risk of a
hydrogen-oxygen explosion. Meanwhile, Japanese officials have dismissed
a claim by Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Ed Markey that the No. 2
reactor core had melted through its containment vessel. Markey says he
got his information from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.



.