Fukushima exceeds Chernobyl in radiation level

A map drawn up by the Japanese Government shows, that soil at 34 spots in six Prefecture municipalities around the Fukushima power plant, are contaminated with radioactive cesium. These levels are higher than the Chernobyl disaster standard used for forcible evacuations. A soil contamination map released by Japan's Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry, shows six municipalities have more than 1.48 million becquerels of cesium 137, per square meter. Most highly contaminated spots are mainly 40 kilometers northeast of the nuclear plant. Some experts say it will take at least a couple of decades for some residents to return to their homes. Meanwhile, a man who worked for a week in August at the Fukushima nuclear plant has died of acute leukemia. But TEPCO says his death was not caused by radiation, since he had external radiation exposure of 0.5 millisieverts, less than 5 millisieverts, which is the benchmark set by the Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry.