USA - EPA Statement re Radiation Monitoring

[wdcare]

http://www.epa.gov/radiation/statement.html
3/15/2011 WASHINGTON - As the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has said, we do not expect to see radiation at harmful levels reaching the U.S. from damaged Japanese nuclear power plants. As part of the federal government's continuing effort to make our activities and science transparent and available to the public, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will continue to keep all RadNet data available in the current online database. In addition, EPA plans to work with its federal partners to deploy additional monitoring capabilities to parts of the western U.S. and U.S. territories.
As always, EPA is utilizing this existing nationwide radiation monitoring system, RadNet, which continuously monitors the nation's air and regularly monitors drinking water, milk and precipitation for environmental radiation. The RadNet online searchable database contains historical data of environmental radiation monitoring data from all fifty states and U.S. territories.

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: USA - EPA Statement re Radiation Monitoring

Alaska considers placing additional radiation monitors


WASHINGTON -- The state of Alaska is considering adding additional radiation monitors in rural areas as a precautionary measure as federal nuclear officials continue to monitor Japan's failing Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.


The state currently has monitors placed in Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks. The Alaska sites have been monitoring radiation for three years, as part of a nationwide sensor network that collects radiation readings and sends them to an EPA lab in Alabama.

Both the state and federal environmental officials are considering installing more "forward facing" monitors in rural parts of Alaska that would provide more advanced warning of radiation if it were to move toward population centers, said Greg Wilkinson, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Services.

The EPA's existing nationwide monitoring system, RadNet, continuously monitors the nation's air and regularly monitors drinking water, milk and precipitation for environmental radiation.

Neither state nor EPA officials could answer questions Tuesday on what happens if elevated radiation levels are detected, how quickly the data is analyzed and who is notified......

Read more: http://www.adn.com/2011/03/15/17574...g-additional.html#disqus_thread#ixzz1GmtWQgCm

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[AlaskaDenise]

Re: USA - EPA Statement re Radiation Monitoring

There are over 8000 people living on the Aleutian Island chain who are FAR closer to Japan than California. The city of Unalaska (one of the largest US fishing ports & home to the King Crab industry) has over 4000 people - only 2700 miles from the latest quake today. Adak is only 2300 miles away with under 1000 people.

These people would like accurate information so they can make informed choices about protecting themselves (should the need arise).

Alaska governor's email form is at: http://gov.alaska.gov/parnell/contact/email-the-governor.html

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[AlaskaDenise]

Re: USA - EPA Statement re Radiation Monitoring

TV breaking news here just reported that the EPA is sending additional radiation monitors to Alaska for further radiation monitoring.
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EPA Sending Additional Radiation Monitors to Alaska
Guam, Hawaii Also Sites of Monitors

1:19 p.m. AKDT, March 16, 2011

ANCHORAGE, Alaska

The Environmental Protection Agency is deploying additional radiation monitoring systems to Alaska, Guam and Hawaii to better monitor the situation in Japan. The Agency says placing additional monitors in Alaska, Guam and Hawaii allows it to gather data from a location closer to Japan.

The three Alaska monitors will be set up in Dutch Harbor, Nome and Juneau. They are expected to be operating by the end of the week, according to the EPA.

The EPA website says the agency, along with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, does not expect to see harmful levels of radiation reaching the United States from the damaged Japanese nuclear power plants.

The deployable radiation air monitors are able to be sent to any location in the U.S. or its territories during radiological emergencies.

The state of Alaska reiterated that it too does not expect radioactive material to reach Alaska in any quantity that would produce health concerns.

The state says a spike in radiation levels in Japan overnight has since fallen significantly, and that snow and rain in Japan will partially clear the atmosphere of some of the radiation.

It continued, saying that low-level winds will carry the remaining radiation to sea, but the only way the atmospheric radiation can reach the U.S. is through the high-level jet stream, which is far south of Alaska for the next three days.

The state epidemiologist, Dr. Joe McLaughlin, said in a release that Alaskans should not take potassium iodide as a precaution against radiation exposure. He said that while potassium iodide can protect the thyroid gland from harmful radiation, it can produce adverse side effects and should only be taken if exposure to highly elevated doses of radiation is expected.

Two monitors will be placed in Guam and two in Hawaii.

http://www.ktuu.com/news/ktuu-alask...n-monitors-to-alaska-20110316,0,6429116.story