The plant operator estimated the early April leakage lasted for six days through April 6 and amounted to 520 tons, Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported. Japan's worst nuclear crisis was triggered by a massive 9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11. In a related development, Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced his government will enforce a no-entry zone within a 12.4-mile radius of the crippled nuclear plant, prohibiting evacuees from returning to their homes without government permission.
The restriction has been in force since the early days of the disaster but has often been ignored, CNN reported. Many of the 78,000 residents who have homes in the evacuation zone have gone back in recent weeks to retrieve their belongings and check on businesses.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters entry into the area will now be highly regulated. People who temporarily return will have to wear protective suits and ride into the restricted zone on a designated bus.
Source: iWireNews
