Fukushima nuclear cleanup could create its own environmental disaster

http://www.guardian.co.uk

Fukushima nuclear cleanup could create its own environmental disaster

Decontaminating the Fukushima region to remove radioactive particles will not be possible without removing large amounts of soil, leaves and plantsFollowing the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl 25 years ago, the Soviet government chose long-term evacuation over extensive decontamination; as a result, the plants and animals near Chernobyl inhabit an environment that is both largely devoid of humans and severely contaminated by radioactive fallout. The meltdown last March of three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan also contaminated large areas of farmland and forests, albeit not as severely or extensively as at Chernobyl.