Gaps in US radiation monitoring system revealed
SAN FRANCISCO – Parts of America's radiation alert network have been out of order during Japan's nuclear crisis, raising concerns among some lawmakers about whether the system could safeguard the country in a future disaster.
Federal officials say the system of sensors has helped them to validate the impact of nuclear fallout from the overheated Fukushima reactor, and in turn alert local governments and the public. They say no dangerous levels of radiation have reached U.S. shores.
In California, home to two seaside nuclear plants located close to earthquake fault lines, federal authorities said four of the 11 stationary monitors were offline for repairs or maintenance last week. The Environmental Protection Agency said the machines operate outdoors year-round and periodically need maintenance, but did not fix them until a few days after low levels of radiation began drifting toward the mainland U.S.
Right.
Read that again.
The biggest nuclear event in the last, what? three decades? takes place in Japan, nuclear fallout MAY be headed your way and you decide RIGHT THEN that maybe it's a good idea to TURN OFF THE NUCLEAR RADIATION MONITORS FOR MAINTENANCE?
Does that not sound a bit peculiar to anyone else besides me?
"But wait!" as Dan Akroyd would say---"THERE'S MORE!"
About 20 monitors out of 124 nationwide were out of service earlier this week, including units in Harlingen, Tex. and Buffalo, N.Y. on Friday, according to the EPA.
Isn't that a beauty?
I repeat the question: The biggest nuclear event in the last three decades takes place in Japan, nuclear fallout MAY be headed your way and you decide RIGHT THEN that maybe it's a good idea to TURN OFF THE NUCLEAR MONITORS FOR MAINTENANCE?
Does this make any sense?
Here's an example of one of the situations, too:
One RadNet monitor in Fontana, Calif. stopped transmitting data in November, and regional air quality officials alerted EPA, said Philip Fine, an atmospheric measurements manager with Southern California Air Quality Management District. The repairs happened last weekend, when EPA made fixing California monitors a priority, he said.
That's a beauty, isn't it? It breaks in November but you wait until the end of March, the following year, to fix it.
I can hear it now: "Fred, the nuclear radiation monitor broke today."
Fred: "Oh, what the hell. Let's wait until a nuclear reactor blows, somewhere in the world, before we fix it. It's not like it's important or anything."
Here's yet another example:
In San Diego, an air district official who oversees one RadNet monitor, said they "babysit" the machine for the EPA and were unaware it had problems until agency officials showed up to fix it last weekend.
"We thought it was running," said Bob Kard, the air pollution control officer for the San Diego Air Pollution Control District.
Well isn't that comforting? They thought it was running.
Who's running our nuclear radiation detection system? The Keystone Cops?
Does this maybe look like the EPA is either in collusion with the nuclear industry it's supposed to be monitoring and so, shut off these monitors OR that they figured the radiation might, in fact, be headed that way and they decided that no information was better than having information so the American people don't panic so LET'S SHUT THOSE SUCKERS OFF?
Or is it just total irresponsibility and ineptitude?
I'm thinking it has to be one of those 3 options.
And none of them are good.
Link to original post: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110326/ap_on_re_us/us_west_coast_radiation_monitors
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3 comments:
Well, what are a few gaps amongst friends? After all, atomic power is so aafe - why measure?
You may also be interested in how to treat radioactively contaminated drinking water:
http://crisismaven.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/dangers-properties-possible-uses-and-methods-of-purification-of-radioactively-contaminated-drinking-water-e-g-in-japan/
Maybe someone wants to help with Japanese and other languages?
right, I agree with you. likely this is happening in countries all over the world and the populations are being kept ignorant of it so we can continue with the oh-so-clean-and-safe nuclear power.
To be clear here, I'm not suggesting or calling out yet another "government conspiracy", per se, by any means. What I am saying is that, when nuclear power plants blow, that's not the time to either be shutting off or have shut off these monitors.
There's a report out this morning that nuclear radiation has been identified in Nevada. I assume, then, that not only would it have been detected in California, too, but that it would have been stronger, too, if even incrementally.
CrisisMaven--I'm adding your blog to my blogroll list, for what that's worth and so you know. Good to know you're out there. Thanks.
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