The 2011 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in Japan caused the release of radioactive isotopes from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The damages of the earthquake and tsunami were massive, the plant's cooling systems were destroyed which led to three nuclear meltdowns and constant radiation emissions. Now, for the first time, radiation emissions have reached the United States.
Should The Fukushima Radiation In The US Cause Alarm?
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution said that they have found proof that the Fukushima radiation has reached Tillamook Bay and Gold Beach in Oregon, the Inquistr reported. They have detected a minsicule amount of cesium-134, about less than one-thousandth the standard for drinking water or a dental X-ray, but the fact that it was detected 5,000 miles from Japan after 5 years is very notable.
But Ken Buesseler, senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said that since the detected levels are so low, it should not harm people who swim in the ocean or eat fish from the West Coast.
Dr Kathryn Higley, head of Oregon State University's School of Nuclear Science and Engineering said the cesium-134 levels in Japan have gone down significantly that Japanese fisheries are considering reopening, so the levels of cesium-134 that's found in US shores are not a cause of worry at all.
Japan Is Still Dealing With The Consequences Of The Disaster
Five years after the tragedy, the Japanese government is still dealing with the effects of the killer earthquake and tsunami, UPI said. Electricity customers in Japan will have to pay more to cover the cost of decommissioning the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Decontamination costs will amount to about $44.5 billion, while billions of dollars are also needed to decommission reactors and resolve the issue of radioactive water at the plant.
