FAQ

Ambient dose rates remain high in some areas around the power station. These areas have been declared Difficult-to-Return Zones. Living within these areas is restricted, and entry restrictions are also in place. These areas account for 2.4% of the total area of Fukushima Prefecture.

Since revisions to legislation (the Act on Special Measures for the Rebirth of Fukushima) in May 2017, certain areas within Difficult-to-Return Zones can be declared Specified Reconstruction and Revitalization Bases. Evacuation orders can be lifted for these areas, and people can be permitted to live within them.

Plans for Specified Reconstruction and Revitalization Bases have been approved for all municipalities that have put them together (Futaba Town, Okuma Town, Namie Town, Tomioka Town, Iitate Village, Katsurao Village), and thorough decontamination and infrastructure development efforts are underway in the specified areas.

Reference
Reconstruction Agency, Japan: Great East Japan Earthquake