Japan Nuke problems and Hawaii
Russ Takata Radiation Chief State of Hawaii Department of Health (DOH),
The recent Press release (3/14 attached) I read form Hi Gov. does not square with the reports below.
Hawaii appears to be understating the seriousness of the events in Japan. See links for more details.
Jim
America on radiation alert: Japan faces world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl as experts warn fallout may reach U.S. –California ‘monitoring situation closely’ amid dramatic escalation of disaster –Japan’s nuclear crisis now appears worse than the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in 1979 –Radioactive wind could reach Tokyo within hours – and radiation levels are already rising in city –Nuclear Regulatory Commission admits it is ‘quite possible’ radiation could reach the U.S. –‘Worst-case scenario’ could see 30,000ft winds sending nuclear cloud across Pacific – possibly hitting by Tuesday night 15 Mar 2011 Fears that America could be hit by the nuclear fallout from the Japan earthquake have dramatically increased as workers prepared to abandon a reactor crippled by the earthquake and tsunami last night in the face of what is set to become the world’s second worst nuclear disaster – topped only by Chernobyl. Damage at the number two reactor at the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power complex is worse than thought, the Japanese government admitted tonight, sparking fears for human health both in Japan and the U.S. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has admitted it is ‘quite possible’ the fallout could reach America.
Navy ships off Japan move to avoid radiation 14 Mar 2011 Ships in 7th Fleet, including the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, moved to avoid a radioactive plume flowing from a damaged Japanese nuclear power plant, the Navy said. In a post Monday on the fleet’s Facebook page, an official explained that low levels of radiation were detected in the air and on aircraft flying near the plant, a discovery that prompted the ships to move to a position away from the plume’s downwind path. The Reagan was at sea, around 100 miles northeast of the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear power plant, when the hazardous material was discovered.
U.S. Military Crew Passes Through Radioactive Cloud –Prevailing winds picking up radioactive material from crippled reactors in northeastern Japan –U.S. helicopters flying missions north of damaged reactors became coated with particulate radiation 14 Mar 2011 The Pentagon was expected to announce that the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, which is sailing in the Pacific, passed through a radioactive cloud from stricken nuclear reactors in Japan, causing crew members on deck to receive a month’s worth of radiation in about an hour, government officials said Sunday. The officials added that American helicopters flying missions about 60 miles north of the damaged reactors became coated with particulate radiation that had to be washed off.
Radiation spewing from reactors, residents told to stay indoors 15 Mar 2011 Radiation is spewing from damaged reactors at a crippled nuclear power plant in tsunami-ravaged northeastern Japan in a dramatic escalation of the 4-day-old catastrophe, forcing the government to tell people nearby to stay indoors to avoid exposure. Prime Minister Naoto Kan warned that there are dangers of more leaks and told people living within 30 kilometres of the Fukushima Daiichi complex stay indoors. In a nationally televised statement, Kan said radiation has spread from four reactors of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Fukushima province that was one of the hardest-hit in Friday’s 9.0-magnitude earthquake and the ensuing tsunami.
Radiation fears after Japan blast 15 Mar 2011 Radiation fears after Japan blast 15 Mar 2011 Explosions at a Japanese quake-stricken nuclear plant have led to radiation levels that can affect human health, a senior Japanese official has said. Prime Minister Naoto Kan has urged those living within 30km (18 miles) of the plant to stay indoors. Earlier, reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant was hit by a blast – the third reactor to explode in four days – leading to fears of a meltdown.
Rise in radiation detected in neighboring Ibaraki Prefecture: local nuclear authorities 15 Mar 2011 A sharp rise in radiation was detected in Ibaraki Prefecture, south of Fukushima, the prefectural nuclear safety department said Tuesday. The radiation monitored in Hitachiota city rose to 100 times as high as the normal level, said an official from the safety department. Radiation ten times as high as the normal level was also monitored in Naka city and Hitachi city in the prefecture, Xinhua reported.
Japan distributes iodine to evacuation centres-IAEA 14 Mar 2011 Japan has provided 230,000 units of stable iodine to evacuation centres as a precautionary measure in the country’s nuclear emergency, the U.N. atomic watchdog said on Monday. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), citing information it had received from Japanese authorities, said about 185,000 residents in areas near nuclear power plants affected by Friday’s quake had been evacuated by March 13.
Japan’s Stricken Nuclear Power Plant Rocked by Two Blasts, Fire 15 Mar 2011 Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s stricken nuclear power plant was today rocked by two further explosions and a fire as workers struggled to avert the risk of a meltdown. A hydrogen blast hit the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant’s No. 4 reactor, where Tokyo Electric earlier reported a blaze, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said at a briefing. Four of the complex’s six reactors have been damaged by explosions. Prime Minister Naoto Kan appealed for calm as he said the danger of further radiation leaks was rising at the crippled nuclear facility, 135 miles (220 kilometers) north of Tokyo.
4th reactor of Fukushima NPP on fire: Japan’s PM 15 Mar 2011 A fire at the fourth reactor of the Fukushima 1 nuclear power plant resulted in a leak of highly concentrated radiation, the Japanese premier said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Naoto Kan called on the citizens residing within the 20-km (13 miles) distance from the reactor to immediately leave this zone and those living more than 20-30 km (13-17 miles) from the NPP to stay in their houses, but to shut windows and doors.
Japan crisis: third explosion raises spectre of nuclear nightmare –New explosion at Fukushima plant, as engineers fought to prevent a meltdown in the second worst nuclear accident in history. 14 Mar 2011 A huge explosion hit another reactor at an earthquake-damaged Japanese nuclear power plant early Tuesday, the third blast since Saturday, the plant operator said. “There was a huge explosion” between 6:00 am (2100 GMT Monday) and 6:15 am at the number-two reactor of Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant, a Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) spokesman said. The government also reported apparent damage to part of the container shielding the same reactor at Fukushima 250 kilometres (155 miles) northeast of Tokyo, although it was unclear whether this resulted from the blast.
US Nuclear Experts Worry About Possible Japan Reactor Meltdown 13 Mar 2011 Underscoring grave concerns about the Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant some 150 miles north of Tokyo, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. Air Force had delivered coolant to try to lower the temperature of the facility’s nuclear rods. Tokyo Electric Power Co said pressure inside a reactor at its Fukushima-Daiichi plant rose after the cooling system was knocked out by the earthquake.
Reactor Fuel Rods May Be Melting After Exposed a Second Time 14 Mar 2011 Tokyo Electric Power Co. can’t rule out that the fuel rods are melting at the Fukushima Dai Ichi No. 2 reactor, heightening the risk of a meltdown, after water levels dropped, exposing them a second time. An air flow gauge was accidentally turned off causing air pressure into the reactor to rise suddenly and blocking the flow of cooling water, the company said in a press conference on national broadcaster NHK’s website. Tokyo Electric is now attempting to reopen the valve to release pressure building inside the reactor and inject water to cool the rods, the company said.
At least 15 Japanese hospitalized with radiation poisoning 13 Mar 2011 At least 15 people have been admitted to hospital with symptoms of radiation poisoning following an accident at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant, the Kyodo news agency said on Sunday. A blast ripped through the Fukushima Number One nuclear reactor on Saturday, destroying the building, but leaving the nuclear reactor itself undamaged, according to official Japanese reports.
Japan’s Nikkei slumps 10.6% on radiation fears 15 Mar 2011 Japanese shares plunged Tuesday on panic-selling over worries that radiation from a damaged nuclear reactor would further complicate and endanger the nation’s recovery from its worst-ever earthquake on record Friday. The benchmark Nikkei Stock Average, which fell more than 14% at one point during the session, ended 10.6% to 8,605.15 for its biggest percentage fall since late 2008; the drop comes on top of a 6.2% tumble on Monday.
State of Hawaii Press Release
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release
NEIL ABERCROMBIE
GOVERNOR
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LORETTA FUDDY, ACTING DIRECTOR
Phone: (808) 586-4410
Fax: (808) 586-4444
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(more)
For Immediate Release: March 14, 2011 11-024
DOH WORKS WITH NATIONAL PARTNERS TO MONITOR AIR;
NO ELEVATED LEVELS OF RADIATION DETECTED
HONOLULU – The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) has not detected any elevated
radiation readings, and air samples remain at ambient or normal background levels following a
small release of radiation Saturday at a nuclear reactor facility in Japan. The release of radiation
occurred from two nuclear reactors in Japan that were damaged in Friday’s earthquake and
tsunami. The DOH Indoor and Radiological Health Branch (IRHB) is closely monitoring information
on the radiation release, and with the current size of the release and the distance from Hawaii, no
public health risk to the state is expected.
The DOH in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a system in place for
ambient monitoring for radioactive dust. The system (RADNET) looks at real-time data as well as
particulate sampling (from monitors located on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii) which are analyzed
by the DOH and at a laboratory in Alabama. At this time, the department has no indication of any
readings above normal background levels and does not expect any “spikes” due to the limited
amount of material released and the current environmental conditions.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) released a statement on March 13 stating, “All the
available information indicates weather conditions have taken the small releases from the
Fukushima reactors out to sea away from the population. Given the thousands of miles between
the two countries, Hawaii, Alaska, the U.S. Territories and the U.S. West Coast are not expected to
experience any harmful levels of radioactivity.” A news release from the Japan Nuclear and
Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) indicated that the amount of radioactive material released from the
DOH Works with National Partners to Monitor Air; No Elevated Levels of Radiation Detected
Page 2
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Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station was relatively small. However, should the situation
change, the department is making preparations by coordinating with national and statewide
partners and ensuring medical stockpiles are readily available.
The department’s Radiological Health staff is currently working with other state and federal entities
on radioactive plume modeling. All models are based on real-time atmospheric conditions and
indicate that the release is headed away from the Hawaiian Islands.
For further information go to the DOH website at www.hawaii.gov/doh
or go to the following sites:
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
http://www.epa.gov/radiation/rert/monitoring.html
http://epa.gov/narel/radnet/
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