Study Finds No Evidence Of ‘Ocean-Borne’ Fukushima Radiation Along West Coast

CBSLA.com) ^ | May 7, 2014 4:02 PM | Tom Reopelle

[BenLurkin]

LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — The West Coast shoreline shows no signs of ocean-borne radiation from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, scientists said Wednesday.

KNX 1070′s Tom Reopelle reports researchers from CSU Long Beach and other schools are sampling kelp along the California coastline to determine whether seawater arriving from Japan poses any public health threat.

The Kelp Watch 2014 project – which is co-headed by Dr. Steven Manley, marine biology professor at Long Beach State – has gathered kelp samples from as far north as Kodiak Island, Alaska, to as far south as Baja California to determine the extent of possible radiation contamination from the Fukushima disaster in March 2011.

During the first phase of the project, samples were primarily collected from Feb. 24 through March 14 at 38 of the 44 sites originally identified by researchers for testing of cesium-137 and -134 isotopes, according to researchers.

“So far, it appears that, based on our analysis of kelp, that none of the Fukushima radiation has arrived via the ocean current to our shoreline,” Manley said.

Two sites in the tropics – Hawaii and Guam, where non-kelp brown algae were sampled — were also negative for Fukushima radiation, according to researchers.

Manley noted that the project also has giant kelp from off the coast of Chile in South America that serves as a reference site, far removed from any potential influence from Fukushima.

The study somewhat contradicted earlier findings from a 2012 Long Beach State study that found low levels of radioactive isotopes in seaweed found along the southern Pacific Coast.

While the project’s participants are primarily from academia who have agreed to work pro bono, donors with the USC-Sea Grant and California State University Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology (COAST) have agreed to contribute funds to the project, researchers said.

The second of the three 2014 sampling periods is scheduled to begin in early July.

[diogenes ghost]

This is impossible, as many FReepers assured us repeatedly. They told us it would be really, really bad.

Must be faulty instruments.

[DoughtyOne]

The Pacific Ocean is a massive expanse. The volume of water is so massive, that dissipation alone would work on preventing concentrations of the radioactive water to collect along our west coast.

I understand the currents and all, but it’s like blowing a puff of smoke on one end of a gymnasium and expecting folks to be knocked over by it on the other end.

[Westbrook]

I have told many that you will get more nuclear radiation from a ten minute walk in the sunshine than you will from the Fukushima disaster.

They typically gape at me as though I were nuts.

[SatinDoll]

I will continue to eat the oysters from Willapa Bay. They are not tainted in the least.

For those who do not know where Willipa Bay is located, it is outside the Columbia River estuary though just north of that river’s mouth.

[justa-hairyape]

And of course let us not forget all those who denied for months that even a reactor pressure vessel melt out had occurred. We only had three of them. Add of course those who denied loss of containment for over a year. We only had three losses of containment.

To date, 3,000 of the people who were evacuated from Japanese contaminated cities, have died. Of course the Japanese government says it was not radiation related. And if a Japanese person claims the deaths were radiation related, the government will arrest you for spreading false rumors.

BTW - The earlier study did find radiation in the kelp. So one positive, one negative. Which of course means negative to a nuclear statist.

[rottndog]

You sound like a DUmmie.

[justa-hairyape]

They have found hot particles from Fukushima reactor core in Europe. Chances are we all have inhaled a few. Especially if you were on the west coast US in March/April of that year.

[justa-hairyape]

Conservative libertarian and I know when I am being lied too. And I always assume a government organization or public university is wrong until proven correct.

[usconservative]

Given how our Government and "Science" have been demonstrably corrupted, I have zero confidence in this report.

Absolutely none.

[The Great RJ]

The dire warnings of deadly radiation from Fukushima crossing the Pacific are typical of environmental alarmism. The alarmists who assured us that the West Coast would become a radioactive wasteland are the same ones who are telling us that molecular level changes in CO2 emissions are going to bring a climate disaster, the Keystone Pipeline will contaminate most of the nation's water supply and hydraulic fracking causes earthquakes. All of these dire predictions of disaster are wrong and are rooted in a political agenda. Remember how in the 1970s we were assured that overpopulation would assure mass starvation by the year 2000, global cooling was bringing another ice age and building the Trans Alaska Pipeline would turn Alaska into an oil soaked moonscape? None of these doom and gloom predictions were even remotely correct

[DoughtyOne]

I’m not sure how it is even possible for Fukushima particles to come down in Europe, what with the prevailing wind patterns. I don’t recall any of the explosions being strong enough to send material into the upper atmosphere? That’s what it would take. And if it was just rising air, that would mean it would essentially have to float up into the atmosphere, remain there across the Pacific, across North America, across the Atlantic, and drop down onto Europe.

I think someone is lacing some European’s cornflakes with hallucinogens

[thackney]

The claim that Fukishima radiation is going to damage the US West Coast, when the 105 Nuclear Bomb tests in the Pacific Ocean did not, is silly.

[justa-hairyape]

That is the correct position here. One study positive, one study negative. So it is a wash leaning toward positive. You can only undo the positive by finding errors in their testing procedure or producing numerous negatives that put the certainty of the positive in doubt. The Japanese government and US government (led by Obama/HillaryMcCain/DINO’s and RINO’s) is in full cover-up mode. We are dealing with leaders who are mass murderers. The only thing that has changed since World War I, is the efficiency of their tools.

[justa-hairyape]

We are talking hot particles that were created inside a reactor. No correlation to nuclear bombs. Some of the metals these hot particles consist of, are not present in the nuclear bomb casing, which is rather small compared to the size of the reactors. I suppose you buy that government lie that we had an explosion of cancer cases due to diet. Why do you think they outlawed the testing ?

[usconservative]

The claim that Fukishima radiation is going to damage the US West Coast, when the 105 Nuclear Bomb tests in the Pacific Ocean did not, is silly.

Not correct.

105 atmospheric (i.e., not underground) nuclear tests were conducted there, many of which were of extremely high yield. While the Marshall Islands testing composed 14% of all U.S. tests, it composed nearly 80% of the total yields of those detonated by the U.S., with an estimated total yield of around 210 megatons, with the largest being the 15 Mt Castle Bravo shot of 1954 which spread considerable nuclear fallout on many of the islands, including several which were inhabited, and some that had not been evacuated.[2] Many of the islands which were part of the Pacific Proving Grounds continue to be contaminated by nuclear fallout, and many of those who were living on the islands at the time of testing have suffered from an increased incidence of various health problems. Through the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act of 1990, at least $759 million has been paid to Marshall Islanders as compensation for their exposure to U.S. nuclear testing. Following the Castle Bravo accident, $15.3 million was paid to Japan.[3]

Source: Pacific Proving Grounds

Considering that testing was spread out over 3,000,000 square miles in the Pacific Ocean, it's reasonable to conclude that radiation from Fukushima could reach the West Coast.

The fact that we had debris wash up on California and Washington shorelines from the Tsunami that caused Fukushima in the first place reinforces that conclusion.

[lepton]

To date, 3,000 of the people who were evacuated from Japanese contaminated cities, have died.

---

That sounds astoundingly low...even without any effects from the evacuation or contamination.

[pfflier]

All that hysteria, wasted...

[justa-hairyape]

Take a good long look at the reactor # 3 explosion. That was the reactor with mox. There are large assemblies falling back down to earth toward the end of that explosion. We now know that explosion occurred during the melt out. In fact the melting out probably caused the explosion. We know that from the timeline.

[thackney]

Considering the tesst released considerable more radioactive material into the Pacific Ocean without noticeable effect on Coasts similar distance away, I greatly doubt the concern.