Daily radiation readings from Fukushima Prefecture

[TheMadMonk]

3. And the worst of those figures is less than 40% the EPA permissible exposure...

...which in turn is 100th the dose which can be statistically linked to increased cancer risk. That's assuming continuous exposure over a full year or more.

The limits on children and permanent residency aren't really there to keep the public safe. They could be set considerably higher and still maintain a decent safety margin.

I suspect the major reason that limits are set as low as they are, is to make personal injury lawsuits, effectively unwinable. Victims will get the usual government short measure for their material losses, but nothing beyond normal healthcare coverage for cancers 10, 20, 50 years down the track.