Japan bans rice shipments from district in Fukushima

Japan bans rice shipments from district in Fukushima

2011-11-18 13:16:57 GMT+7 (ICT)

TOKYO (BNO NEWS) -- The Japanese government on Thursday ordered Fukushima Prefecture to suspend shipments of rice after levels of radioactive caesium higher than the state limit were detected in rice grown in the area, NHK Television reported on Friday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said he has told Governor Yuhei Sato of Fukushima Prefecture to restrict shipments on rice harvested this year in the Onami District of Fukushima City. This is the first ban imposed on rice shipments since the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant earlier this year.

The ban comes after the prefectural government of Fukushima announced on Wednesday that tests detected 630 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium in rice samples from a field in the Onami District. The government's maximum permissible level for rice is 500 becquerels per kilogram.

Fujimura said that contaminated rice has not been put on the market. He added that the government will consider lifting shipment restrictions as soon as tests confirm the safety of the rice.

Japan has been facing an ongoing nuclear crisis since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was severely damaged on March 11 when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami devastated the country. The disaster disabled the cooling systems of the plant and radioactive elements leaked into the sea and were later found in water, air and food products in some parts of Japan.

At least 15,839 people were killed as a result of the earthquake and tsunami while 3,642 others remain missing. There are still more than 88,000 people who are staying in shelters in 21 prefectures across Japan.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-11-18