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Japan's workers evacuated after smoke at reactor
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Japan's nuclear safety agency, says smoke has stopped coming out of reactor No.3 at the Fukushima power plant. Earlier, plumes of grey smoke forced the evacuation of some workers, this being the latest in a string of problems to stabilize the power station. The reason for the smoke is not immediately known and the change in radiation levels there, have been slight.
The Japanese nuclear safety agency says 7 workers were evacuated from the complex after grey smoke was seen rising.
Hidehiko Nishiyama, Dep. Dir-General of Japanese Nuclear & Ind. Safety Agency, said, "Of the seven workers who have been irradiated up until today, the one with the highest level of irradiated was at 150 millisieverts. All the others were at lower levels than that."
Japan's chief cabinet spokesman also confirms that monitors have not noted any significant changes in radiation levels.
Yukio Edano, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, said, "As for the nuclear power plant we have heard that smoke is coming out from the Number 3 reactor building, as was already reported, but the monitoring shows that we do not see any great changes in the readings. There are all kinds of inflammable objects inside the reactor building besides the reactor itself, therefore we would like to continue that the people working in the field will find out the cause. However, so far, there is no problem in terms of radiation levels increasing."
Tokyo Electric Power Company is investigating the cause of the smoke. And emergency staff are continuing their battle to cool the reactors and spent fuel pools.
Officials reported some progress Monday morning, as the military resumed dousing of the troubled Unit 4.
In another small advance, the plant's operator declared reactors No.5 and 6, the least troublesome, are under control after they were reconnected to the electric grid, and their nuclear fuel storage pools cooled to safe levels.
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