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Japan radiation unlikely to reach US, say officials
The Australian ^ | 03/13/11 | Washington Desk

Posted on 03/13/2011 6:00:43 PM PDT by MintyHippo1980

ADIATION from nuclear plants damaged in Japan's earthquake is unlikely to reach US territory in harmful amounts, US nuclear officials say.

"Given the thousands of miles between the two countries, Hawaii, Alaska, the US Territories and the US west coast are not expected to experience any harmful levels of radioactivity," the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said in a statement.

"All the available information indicates weather conditions have taken the small releases from the Fukushima reactors out to sea away from the population," the statement read.

The office also said it sent two boiling-water reactor experts as part of a US Agency for International Development (USAID) emergency team helping respond to the crisis in Japan.

The NRC is coordinating with the US Department of Energy and other federal agencies in providing "whatever assistance the Japanese government requests" as they respond to conditions at several nuclear power plant sites following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the statement read.

Japan is battling a feared meltdown of two reactors at a quake-hit nuclear plant, in the wake of the disaster.

An explosion at the ageing Fukushima No 1 atomic plant blew apart the building housing one of its reactors on Saturday, one day after the biggest quake ever recorded in Japan unleashed a monster tsunami.

The emergency escalated as crews struggled to prevent overheating at a second reactor where the cooling system has also failed, and the government warned that it too could be hit with a blast.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bwr; earthquake; fukushima; japan; nuclear; radiation
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Praying for Japan...
1 posted on 03/13/2011 6:00:47 PM PDT by MintyHippo1980
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To: MintyHippo1980

It’ll reach the US, but it will be so diluted, it won’t matter. Think about the fact that they have detonated nuclear bombs in the atmosphere. The fall out from those is many times what these plants are leaking.


2 posted on 03/13/2011 6:04:26 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: MintyHippo1980
Praying for Japan...

Dittos!

I am following this fairly closely, but it is hard to figure out what is really happening. So far the actual facts appear to be far better than the media hype is making things out to be. I hope this trend continues.

3 posted on 03/13/2011 6:06:38 PM PDT by mlocher (USA is a sovereign nation)
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To: MintyHippo1980

American Nucler Power

1951-2011

I


4 posted on 03/13/2011 6:09:43 PM PDT by trumandogz
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To: MintyHippo1980

American Nucler Power

1951-2011


5 posted on 03/13/2011 6:10:07 PM PDT by trumandogz
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To: mlocher

Seeing the film of that wave was unbelievable. Perfect right 60 foot and breaking even bigger way outside. Suicide ride but what a way to go.


6 posted on 03/13/2011 6:10:40 PM PDT by screaminsunshine (34 States)
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To: MintyHippo1980

The anti-nuclear groups are stomping their feet and screaming “NOOOOOO!” at this. They were eagerly hoping for deaths from radiation, and it was stolen from them.


7 posted on 03/13/2011 6:12:06 PM PDT by COBOL2Java (Obama is the least qualified guy in whatever room he walks into.)
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To: COBOL2Java

It appears that the Japanese engineers have the situations at the nuke plants under control. Greenpeace and CNN are in mourning.


8 posted on 03/13/2011 6:18:15 PM PDT by JPG (May the WI GOP stay united and strong.)
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To: MintyHippo1980
Background radiation exists. It can vary slightly, but we live it.
I'm far more worried about the Japanese right now.
9 posted on 03/13/2011 6:20:30 PM PDT by allmost
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To: MintyHippo1980
Chicken Little Elmo

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us


10 posted on 03/13/2011 6:22:57 PM PDT by vox_freedom (America is being tested as never before in its history. May God help us.)
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To: MintyHippo1980
>>> http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/benson/
11 posted on 03/13/2011 6:28:23 PM PDT by Jo Nuvark (Those who bless Israel will be blessed, those who curse Israel will be cursed. Gen 12:3)
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To: COBOL2Java

The anti-nuke groups are swarming the networks, taking to the airwaves as “experts” outlining worst-case scenarios as if they were inevitable. Geraldo has one such d-bag on as we speak, talking about the coming Great Quake of New York that will turn Indian Point into a geyser of glowing, molten death for the entire east coast... hitting women and minorities hardest, of course.

Japan’s misery is their opportunity. Subhuman scum. I hate these people.


12 posted on 03/13/2011 6:37:59 PM PDT by WhistlingPastTheGraveyard (Some men just want to watch the world burn.)
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To: MintyHippo1980
"Japan radiation unlikely to reach US."

That's good, because we'll be dealing with the fallout of Obama's Presidency for years to come.

13 posted on 03/13/2011 7:08:47 PM PDT by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: mass55th
Japan radiation unlikely to reach US."

the bombs didn't get to us, this won't either...good grief, they are certainly capable of handling this situation....serious, yes...catastrophic, nO...i'M ONLY TAlking about the nuclear problem, not the quake nor tsunami. No one, not even the U.S. is prepared for something like that. I couldn't believe the damage that we suffered in California as a result of the water....thousands of miles away and we got creamed!!!WOW

14 posted on 03/13/2011 7:39:19 PM PDT by terycarl
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To: JPG
It appears that the Japanese engineers have the situations at the nuke plants under control. Greenpeace and CNN are in mourning.

Sick.

15 posted on 03/13/2011 7:43:57 PM PDT by CommieCutter (Promote Liberal Extinction: Support gay marriage and abortion!)
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To: MintyHippo1980
Q: What about the radiation released? Is it dangerous?

A: It would appear that some of the nuclear fuel in FD1 has melted and released gaseous fission products to the interior of the reactor. These would include xenon, krypton, and iodine. There are about seven isotopes of xenon that are radioactive and would be released in such an incident, with atomic masses of 133, 135, 137, and 138, along with three isomers, 131m, 133m, and 135m. With the exception of the isomers, each of these xenon atoms will decay into cesium and some into other elements past cesium. There is also krypton but its radioactivity and decay products are of less concern.

Xenon itself is not particularly dangerous. It is a noble gas and is not concentrated in the body. Cesium is more of a concern. Here are the seven decay sequences:

Xenon-131m will decay to stable xenon-131.
Xenon-133m will decay to radioactive xenon-133.
Xenon-133 will decay to stable cesium-133.
Xenon-135m will decay to radioactive xenon-135.
Xenon-135 will decay to very mildly radioactive cesium-135.
Xenon-137 will decay to radioactive cesium-137.
Xenon-138 will decay to radioactive cesium-138 and then quickly to stable barium-138.

Of all of these, the decay of xenon-137 to cesium-137 is probably responsible for the most risk, but xenon-137 decays so quickly that the mobility of cesium-137 is limited. I do not think this poses much risk because it can’t get far. The xenon-135 has a longer half-life (9 hours) but decays to a nearly harmless form of cesium (135). I think this poses almost no risk due to the very long half life of cesium-135.

16 posted on 03/13/2011 7:55:05 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun." -- Barry Soetoro, June 11, 2008)
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To: MintyHippo1980

They’re just covering it up. The truth is California’s going to fry. Nancy Pelosi will become a mutant.


17 posted on 03/13/2011 9:19:53 PM PDT by yup2394871293
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To: MintyHippo1980

I’m not so worried about the radiation. It should dissipate. What bothers me more is that gut feeling that reminds me of the same feeling we all had after 9/11. The feeling that this is a game changer for us all. That the world is about to change even more in terms of life as we knew it.


18 posted on 03/13/2011 10:21:56 PM PDT by optiguy (Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.----- Ronald Reagan)
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To: yup2394871293

Nancy Pelosi is already a mutant...


19 posted on 03/13/2011 10:35:07 PM PDT by bibletruth
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To: optiguy
I’m not so worried about the radiation. It should dissipate. What bothers me more is that gut feeling that reminds me of the same feeling we all had after 9/11.

There is no question that the leftists/greenies/Obots will try to exploit this situation to further their agenda of destroying our economy by creating an artificial shortage of energy. Even if every one of the reactors in the plant melts down there still would be no credible threat to the West Coast. Lefties know that people freak out about radiation.

20 posted on 03/14/2011 12:08:39 AM PDT by fireman15 (Check your facts before making ignorant statements.)
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