Fund to track Fukushima health　via The Japan Times Online

The government plans to establish a ¥103 billion fund to track the health of all Fukushima Prefecture residents for 30 years, because of radiation leaking from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, government sources said Thursday.

The government plans to allocate ¥78 billion in a second supplementary budget for the current fiscal year and intends to ask plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. to contribute ¥25 billion.

The study will manage and monitor the health of the prefecture’s residents amid concern about the long-term impact from radiation that continues to leak from the plant more than three months after the crisis started.

Around 2 million people, including those who have evacuated to areas outside the prefecture since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled the nuclear plant, would be covered by the study. Under the plan, the study would estimate cumulative radiation levels and blood tests for all those who wish to participate in the tests.

The central government and Fukushima Prefecture plan to begin conducting the study in areas with higher levels of radiation as soon as the extra budget clears the Diet, after working out a specific checklist of items and methods of assessment.

Fund to track Fukushima health