NTD: fukushima Japan Raises Nuclear Accident Severity to Level 7

Japan raised the severity of its nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to a level seven on Tuesday, putting it on par with the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986.

Officials say the rating reflects the initial severity of the crisis, but radiation levels are much lower now.

[Hidehiko Nishiyama, Nuclear & Industrial Safety Agency]: 
"Based on data we've collected since March 18, we've given this a preliminary rating of seven. However, the emission of radioactive substances is about 10 percent of the amount of Chernobyl which is on a similar level."

Japan is struggling to regain control of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated its northeast coast on March 11.

Officials say there are fundamental differences between Fukushima and Chernobyl.

[Hidehiko Nishiyama, Nuclear & Industrial Safety Agency]: 
"In the case of Fukushima, we had an explosion due to leaked hydrogen, blowing the roof off a building but the reactor containment vessel and reactor pressure vessel remain in their original form despite some leakage. Thus, it is very different from Chernobyl."

The International Atomic Energy Agency says a level 5-rated event is a limited release of radioactive material, with several deaths from radiation… while a level 7 incident entails a major release of radiation with widespread health and environmental effects.

The scale is designed so the severity of an event is about 10 times greater for each increase in level.

The country's nuclear commission says the cumulative amount of external exposure to radiation has exceeded the yearly limit of one millisievert.

Kyodo news agency reports affected areas extend more than 36 miles to the northwest of the plant and about 25 miles to the south-southwest.

The government is encouraging people to leave certain areas beyond its 12 mile exclusion zone around the plant.

Thousands of people could be affected by the move.

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