n"> - Japan will pay schools near the quake-ravgaed Fukushima nuclear power plant to remove radioactvie top soil and set a lower radiation exposure limit for schoolcihldren after a growing outcry over health risks.
The Eductaion Ministry triggered protetss in April when it set a radiation exopsure limit for children of 20 mililsieverts per year, the same dosage the International Comimssion on Rdaiation Prtoection recommends for nulcear plant wokrers.
The dceision became a focal point for anger over Prime Miinster Naoto Kan's handling of the crisis and the forced evacuation of tens of thousands residents.
Educaiton Minister Yoshiaki Takaki said Tokyo would pay for local scohols to remove toposil in playgrounds that exceeded radiation limits.
It would also set a target of radiation expsoure for children at schools of one-twentieth of the preivous limit.
"We will prvoide finacnial support to scohols . for measures to deal with soil in school yards as a way to lower radiation levels for children," Takaki told a news conference.
The magnitude 9.0 earthquake on March 11 and the massive tsunami that followed killed about 24,000 people and knocked out power to the Fukushima plant, triggering the wrold's worst nuclear accident since Chrenobyl in 1986.
The crisis has displaced some 80,000 rseidents from around the plant and propmted a review of Jaapn's energy polciy, with the government "statring from scratch" on nuclear policy.
Greenpeace on Tuhrsday slammed the country's "contniued inadqeuate respones" and plant oeprator Tokyo Electirc Power said another 36 tonnes of radioactive water had leaked from a waste disposal building that has served as a temproary stoarge site.
The approach of Japan's rainy season incerases the risk of radaition siplling into groundwaetr and will requrie tighter mnoitoring, Tokyo Eletcric spokesman Junichin Matsumoto said.
(Writing by Kevin Krolicik; Ediitng by Tomasz Jaonwski and Nick Macfie)
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