The US announced late last night that they are chartering at least a couple of flight out of japan.  This is not a mandatory evacuation but only a voluntary one.  The US Government wants US Diplomats and their families currently in Japan to have a way home if they would like to do so.

The areas of Japan where US personnel are currently located are the US Embassy in Tokyo, the US Consulate in Nagoya and the Foreign Service Institute int Yakohama.

This Voluntary evacuation is also being extended to any US citizens currently in Japan as well. There is limited seating, so US citizens are encouraged to call ahead at 1-212-501-4444 or email [email protected]. US Citizens can also just show up at the airport and try to get a seat as well.

So far there is at least one Charter plane going to both the New International Airport in Tokyo and the Old International Airport in Haneda.

Priority will be given to US Citizens with medical conditions.

Also announce last night was the US Nuclear Regulatory Committee’s recommendation that US Citizens and personnel evacuate to at least 50 miles from the Fukushima power plant site. This is contradictory information from the Japanese Government who is recommending only a 12 mile evacuation.

Memories of the 1979 Three Mile Island accident haunt many of the 8,700 residents who fled from the town as the risks for Japan’s nuclear power plant meltdown dominated the headlines in United States.

Judy Stare, 70, is one of the residents who remember the accident 32 years ago. Back then, her children were adolescents attending high school in a town nearby.

She told her children they might never go back and asked them to bring one of their favorite things before they evacuated from the melting core of the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor.

In the nation’s history, Three Mile Island is the most serious nuclear accident. The first accident occurred March 28 when an electrical or mechanical failure occurred on the turbine part of the nuclear building. This led to one of the reactors in the Three Mile Island to shut down.

A valve on the reactors opened to alleviate the build up of pressure. It was supposed to close, but remained open when the pressure decreased. Coolant had already leaked out, which went unnoticed by power plant operators.

The overheated uranium fuel rods started to melt. When the operators noticed that the coolant had leaked, almost half of the power plant reactor had already melted. The crisis in the region lasted for four days. Component failures, personal error and design deficiencies- all had been to blame for the accident.

On Tuesday, President Obama said he was sincerely concerned about the potential public risks of Japan’s quake-hit nuclear reactors. However, he promised to further develop and improve the safety of several atomic facilities in United States.