Traces of Japan radioactivity in US rain

WASHINGTON - Traces of radioactivity from damaged nuclear power facilities in Japan have been detected in rainwater in the northeast United States, but pose no health risks, officials said.

The Environmental Protection Agency, in an update Sunday, said it had received reports of "elevated levels of radiation in recent precipitation events" in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and that it was "reviewing this data."

The EPA has been monitoring radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, and had previously detected "very low levels of radioactive material" in the United States, while saying that these "were expected" and that "the levels detected are far below levels of public health concern."

"Elevated levels of radioactive material in rainwater have been expected as a result of the nuclear incident after the events in Japan since radiation is known to travel in the atmosphere," the EPA added.

The agency has stepped up its monitoring of precipitation, drinking water, and other potential exposure routes for radiation as a precaution.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1119349/1/.html

Look at that!

the green roof building totally destroyed, and the row of building on the right too, gone!

FUKUSHIMA: Highly Radioactive Water Is Leaking From Three Reactors; Japan Urges Locals To Flee

TEPCO announced that highly radioactive water is leaking from reactors 1, 2, and 3, according to Kyodo. This will make repairs at the nuke plant significantly harder

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/fukushima-friday-march-25-2011-3#ixzz1HfWQyvou

Japan agency raises Fukushima accident level to 5

OSAKA, Japan - Japan's nuclear safety agency on Friday raised the Fukushima crisis level to five from four on the international scale of gravity for atomic accidents, which goes to as high as seven.

The decision by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) puts Fukushima on the same level as the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania and makes it the worst ever in Japan.

A spokesman for the agency said it had alerted the IAEA on its decision, which was made due to the condition of reactors one, two and three at the plant stricken by last week's massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated swathes of northeastern Japan.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1117345/1/.html

THOUSANDS OF FOREIGNERS FLEEING JAPAN, AS CRISIS IS UPGRADED TO LEVEL 5

http://www.businessinsider.com/fukushima-nuclear-plant-2011-3

Jim Berkland Quake Series And March 19 Moon

Japan Says 2nd Reactor May Have Ruptured With Radioactive Release

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/world/asia/17nuclear.html?_r=2&ref=global-home

TOKYO — Japan’s nuclear crisis intensified dramatically on Wednesday after the authorities announced that a second reactor unit at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant in northeastern Japan may have ruptured and appeared to be releasing radioactive steam.

Such were the radiation levels above the plant, moreover, that the Defense Force put off a highly unusual plan to dump water from military helicopters to lower temperatures in an overheating pool containing spent fuel rods, news reports said.
The development showed the seriousness of the challenges facing the authorities. The vessel that possibly ruptured had been seen as the last fully intact line of defense against large-scale releases of radioactive material from one of the stricken reactors, but it was not clear how serious the possible breach might be. The implications of overheating in the fuel rod pool at the plant’s No. 3 reactor unit also seemed perilous.