I’m sure that the Japs are downplaying all this (loss of face, avoiding panic, etc.), but remember Three Mile Island and Chernobyl? They proved that the China Syndrome is a myth. The only dangers are to those in the immediate area, i.e., the rescue workers. Even the media screechers are having to admit that the radiation levels are going down.
Yes, American lives are at risk, but only because we go to help people in emergencies. Heck, even the lily-livered State Department hasn’t decamped from Tokyo.