Thanks for the link. That's the first article I've seen that is actually balanced, including not just the mystery illness claims from the plaintiffs and their lawyer, but also included statements from health physicists and medical toxicologists who point out the problem with those claims--the time period between the alleged exposures and the reported symptoms. Two years later, they're claiming to be experiencing acute radiation sickness (for which it is far too late) as well as radiation-induced cancers (for which it is far too early).
The three previous articles I've seen posted here (including one from FOX) read like sensationalized scandal rag pieces that were so one-sided that they could have been written by the plaintiff's lawyer.
I'm a little disappointed to find so many Freepers willing to take these stories at face value. I recognize that most here don't have any background in health physics, but it strains credibility to believe that a nuclear powered ship, responding to a radiological disaster wouldn't monitor radiological conditions and personnel exposures.
Without knowing what they were exposed to, comparisons to previous radiation exposure are meaningless. And previous studies, such as Chernobyl, have accuracy problems because the Soviets put a secrecy lid on Chernobyl related illness the first 2 years.
We now know the following happened. This is reported from Tepco. Reactor 1-3 received no cooling after the batteries died. The fire engine cooling did not work due to earthquake damage to internal pipes. The reactors were melting down and all Tepco could do was vent. They lied about that to everyone.
The USS Ronald Reagan traveled right into the exhaust vents of three melting down reactors.
The captain of the Reagan asked the US high command if Japan was venting when he saw the readings.