Tagfukushima

Radiation Standards Waived

Today in the Washington Post:

In order for the workers at Fukushima Daiichi to resume trying to cool the damaged reactors, Japan’s health and welfare minister had to waive the nation’s standard of radiation exposure, increasing the level of acceptable exposure from 100 millisieverts to 250 — five times the level allowed in the United States.

Wednesday night, the State Department announced that it would send charter flights to Japan to assist any of the about 600 American family members of its officials who wished to leave Tokyo, Nagoya and Yokohama.

Kennedy said the charter flights may also be made available to private U.S. citizens who are unable to get flights out of the country.

The National Police Agency released updated numbers Thursday morning: 5,176 people dead and 8,606 missing. But the list of casualties is expected to reach far higher.