EPA deploys more radiation monitors to the West Coast

[CreekDog]

By Paul Rogers

Updated: 03/15/2011 07:43:19 PM PDT

As public concern grows about radiation from Japan possibly drifting to the West Coast of the United States, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday announced that it will deploy more electronic monitors that measure radiation levels in the air.

The monitors, which detect gamma radiation and radioactive particles, will be set up in "parts of the Western U.S. and U.S. territories," the agency said in a statement.

...

The EPA has 124 air monitors, which provide hourly readings, already in place in its "Rad-Net" system to measure radiation, including 12 in California and two in Hawaii. One is in San Francisco, on the roof of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Others are in San Jose, Sacramento, Fresno, Los Angeles and San Diego.

The EPA also has 40 mobile monitors, some of which are now being deployed. The agency clarified that some would go to Guam, Hawaii and Alaska, but did not respond to questions about California.

"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," the EPA statement said.

Experts on Monday told the Mercury News that high levels of radiation are unlikely to hit California because Japan is 5,000 miles away. However, studies from the California Air Resources Board have found that coal dust and other pollution from China regularly reaches the state.

Most experts said that if the Japanese reactors experience a complete Chernobyl-type explosion, fire and release of nuclear material, some could reach California, but probably in very low amounts.

...

http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_17621522?nclick_check=1

[Cetacea]

1. In the 1970's radioactive clouds from Chinese testing

passed over the states a few times. I don't think very many people here know that.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Posted earlier

but I also need to say this... no AGENCY deploys this crap just because. So for all those going but you people are being nuts.. again they do not just deploy them

Or the EPA is being a penny henny....

[flamingdem]

3. Those da*n plutonium bunnies are eating my lettuce! nt

[Joe the Revelator]

6. Just because you use a smoke detector, it doesn't mean the house is on fire...

[hlthe2b]

4. Someone posted this website earlier

http://www.radiationnetwork.com/
It is not official by any means, so I don't know for a fact that it is providing the best information... But, might be interesting to see trends emerge and to realize there is considerable background already. (e.g., being in Denver, near Rocky Flats and the minuteman missile silos that remain tucked along the front range between here and north to Wyoming, there are always measurable, though low levels).

[DeSwiss]

5. "....some could reach California, but probably in very low amounts."

- The operative word here being, "probably."

K&R




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