Prayers for Tsunami Victims / Nuclear Disaster in Japan Was Avoidable

Prayers for Tsunami Victims Family members and relatives offer one minute's silent prayer on Sunday for victims of last year's tsunami following the Great East Japan Earthquake 11 March, 2011, on the Pacific Ocean beach at Arahama in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Around the country, Japanese marked the first anniversary of the disaster that claimed 15,854 lives and left 3,203 missing when a magnitude 9.0 earthquake triggered the tsunami and the world's worst nuclear accident in 25 years. Makeshift altars were set up in flattened neighborhoods in cities and country areas for memorial services and concerts. Nuclear Disaster in Japan Was Avoidable, Critics Contend New York Times TOKYO — A year after a huge earthquake and tsunami caused nearly catastrophic meltdowns at a nuclear plant, Japan is still grappling with a crucial question: was the accident simply the result of an unforeseeable natural disaster or something that ... See all stories on this topic »

US orders safety changes after Japan crisis USA TODAY WASHINGTON (AP) – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission ordered major safety changes for US nuclear power plants Friday, two days before the one-year anniversary of the nuclear crisis in Japan. By Susan Walsh, AP Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman ... See all stories on this topic » USA TODAY

Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant surrounded by desolate no-man's-land year ... Fox News Nothing prepares you for entering Japan's 12-mile exclusion zone around the crippled nuclear power plant at Fukushima. Everybody still has to wear radiation suits and face masks when entering, but within the area it is as if time has stood still. See all stories on this topic » Fox News

Japan cleans up radiation zone, unsure of success Boston.com The work is part of a monumental task: a costly and uncertain effort by Japan to try to make radiation-contaminated communities inhabitable again. Some contractors are experimenting with chemicals; others stick with shovels and high-pressure water. See all stories on this topic »

Records show Japan gov't knew meltdown risk early Boston.com March 09, 2012|Mari Yamaguchi, AP Just four hours after a tsunami swept into the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Japan's leaders knew the damage was so severe that the reactors could melt down, but they kept their knowledge secret for months. See all stories on this topic »

Records show Japan foresaw possible Fukushima meltdown Detroit Free Press A policeman stands guard at one of the entrances surrounding the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan. / By Daniel Berehulak, Getty Images TOKYO (AP) — Just four hours after a tsunami swept into the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Japan's leaders knew the ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan cabinet was warned of Fukushima meltdown AFP TOKYO — Top Japanese cabinet ministers were warned of possible nuclear meltdowns at Fukushima hours after the tsunami hit last March, government papers have revealed, despite repeatedly denying the risk in public. A summary of a government meeting ... See all stories on this topic » AFP

AP Enterprise: Japan nuclear evacuation led to deaths of sick and elderly ... Orlando Sentinel ERIC TALMADGE, MARI YAMAGUCHI AP MINAMI-SOMA, Japan (AP) — The doctors and nurses at Futaba Hospital pleaded for help as a radioactive plume wafted over their hospital. They had been ordered out but had no vehicles to evacuate the hundreds of patients ... See all stories on this topic »

NRC orders safety changes after Japan crisis Boston.com March 09, 2012|Matthew Daly, AP The Nuclear Regulatory Commission ordered major safety changes for US nuclear power plants Friday, two days before the one-year anniversary of the nuclear crisis in Japan. The orders require US nuclear plants to install ... See all stories on this topic »

Japanese nuke rules change slowly The Detroit News By Yuri Kageyama AP A volunteer group from Tokyo works to clear buried drainage pipes in Rikuzentakata, Japan, one of several that have helped in the massive recovery effort. (Chris McGrath / Getty Images) Fukushima, Japan— Right after three reactors ... See all stories on this topic »