Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident Self-Defense Forces decontamination of warning area

December 8, 2011, Namie-machi, Japan - A detail of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force launches a preparation work for a decontamination A detail of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force launches a preparation work for a decontamination operation at the Namie-machi town hall in Fukushima Prefecture, some 230km northeast of Tokyo, on Thursday, December 8, 2011. About 900 GSDF troops began cleanup operations at local government buildings in areas around the disaster-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The work is to prepare operational bases for full-fledged cleanup that will start next year as a nuclear decontamination law goes into effect in January. They will clean up the buildings with high-pressure water sprayers and metal brushes, while monitoring radiation levels. They will also scrape off the top soil with heavy machinery and shovels, according to the GSDF. (Photo by AFLO) [3620] -mis-