Nuclear Energy-Crisis in Japan Reuters Updated: April 12, 2011 The earthquake and tsunami that hit northern Japan on March 11, 2011 created the worst nuclear crisis since the Chernobyl disaster. The three active reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station 17o miles north of Tokyo overheated and partially melted down after the quake knocked out the plant's power and the tsunami disabled the backup generators meant to keep cooling systems working. A series of explosions and fires led to the release of radioactive gases. The blasts cracked the containment vessel at one reactor and may have cracked another a fire broke out in the storage pool holding spent fuel rods at a fourth. As the danger and radioactivity levels rose tens of thousands of residents were evacuated or told to stay inside Efforts began to focus on the spent fuel rods in Reactors No. 3 and 4, but the work was hindered by high levels of radioactivity. On March 18, Japan s nuclear safety agency raised the assessment of its severity to 5 from 4 on a 7-level international scale retroactive to March 15. The accident at Three Mile Island was rated a 5, but far more radiation has already been released in the Fukushima plant The l.A. E.A. has detected radiation levels 1, 6oo times above normal about 12 miles from the plant. On March 23, the government announced that radioactive iodine had been detected in Tokyo's water supply and warned that infants should not drink tap water there. The crisis has also raised fears about the spread of contamination of the environment and local food supply; traces of radioactive elements have been found in vegetables and raw milk from farms around the plant and radioactive water has been flowing into the ocean. On March 30, cesium 137, a long-lasting radioactive element, was found at levels that pose a long-term danger at one spot 25 miles from the crippled plant, raising questions about whether the evacuation zone should be expanded and whether the land might need to be abandoned.Nuclear Energy — Crisis in Japan Reuters Updated: April 12, 2011 The earthquake and tsunami that hit northern Japan on March 11, 2011 created the worst nuclear crisis since the Chernobyl disaster. The three active reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station 170 miles north of Tokyo overheated and partially melted down after the quake knocked out the plant's power and the tsunami disabled the backup generators meant to keep cooling systems working. A series of explosions and fires led to the release of radioactive gases. The blasts cracked the containment vessel at one reactor and may have cracked another. A fire broke out in the storage pool holding spent fuel rods at a fourth. As the danger and radioactivity levels rose, tens of thousands of residents were evacuated or told to stay inside. Efforts began to focus on the spent fuel rods in Reactors No. 3 and 4, but the work was hindered by high levels of radioactivity. On March 18, Japan's nuclear safety agency raised the assessment of its severity to 5 from 4 on a 7-level international scale retroactive to March 15. The accident at Three Mile Island was rated a 5, but far more radiation has already been released in the Fukushima plant. The I.A.E.A. has detected radiation levels 1,600 times above normal about 12 miles from the plant. On March 23, the government announced that radioactive iodine had been detected in Tokyo’s water supply and warned that infants should not drink tap water there. The crisis has also raised fears about the spread of contamination of the environment and local food supply; traces of radioactive elements have been found in vegetables and raw milk from farms around the plant and radioactive water has been flowing into the ocean. On March 30, cesium 137, a long-lasting radioactive element, was found at levels that pose a long-term danger at one spot 25 miles from the crippled plant, raising questions about whether the evacuation zone should be expanded and whether the land might need to be abandoned