U.S. says safe to use Sendai Airport

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- The United States said Tuesday it is safe to use Sendai Airport as risks from the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have declined.

In an updated advisory on travel to Japan, the State Department said the U.S. government assesses that "health and safety risks associated with the use of Sendai Airport are low."

Data around Sendai Airport indicates long term radiation exposure is low, the statement said.

But Washington maintained its evacuation advisory for Americans living within an 80-kilometer radius of the stricken nuclear plant in northeastern Japan.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we continue to recommend that U.S. citizens avoid travel to destinations within the 50-mile evacuation zone of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. U.S. citizens who are still within this zone should evacuate or shelter in place," the statement said.