27 percent wouldn't return to Japan quake zone

TOKYO, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- About 27 percent of residents in evacuation zones around Japan's quake-hit nuclear power plant say they do not want to return to their homes, a survey found.

The survey by Fukushima University's disaster recovery research institute, done in September, got responses from 13,463 residents living in areas designated as evacuation or evacuation preparation zones since the deadly March 11 earthquake and tsunami that crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

University Professor Fuminori Tanba surveyed residents of eight towns and villages in the Futaba district of Fukushima Prefecture designated as no-entry or evacuation preparation zones, the Mainichi Daily News reported.

The survey results said 26.9 percent of the residents have no intention of returning to their homes, Mainichi reported. Most said it would be difficult to decontaminate their neighborhoods, they cannot trust the national government's safety declaration and they don't think the crippled plant can be brought under control.

The survey said 37 percent of those who want to return to their homes said they can wait for one to two years, and another 14.6 percent said they can wait as long as needed.

More than 57 of the respondents said they do not know how long they would have to live as evacuees.