The latest from Japan: radioactive desperation

News from Japan today:

Search for radiation leak turns desperate in Japan

By MARI YAMAGUCHI and YURI KAGEYAMA, Associated Press

The plant operators......deliberately dumped 10,000 tons of tainted water — measuring about 500 times above the legal limit for radiactivity — into the ocean Monday to make space at a storage site for water that is even more highly radiactive.

That's the bad news.

The REALLY bad news is that the other water, they're more concerned about and want to keep out of the ocean "contains radioactive iodine at rates 10,000 times the legal limit."

So, as usual, following the same pattern I've pointed out here a few times, first the declaration of bad news, above, followed shortly by the "all is well" call from officials.  From later in the article.


Radioactivity is quickly diluted in the ocean, and Edano said the dump should not affect the safety of seafood in the area.

I ask you, if you were in or visiting Japan soon, would YOU order sushi?


At the bottom of the article (see link below), was this in tiny print:  Radiation 1,600 times higher than normal levels was detected about 12 miles from the plant, the limit of the evacuation area. Radiation at that level, while not high for a single burst, could harm health if sustained.


Makes me feel better already.


Link:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_japan_earthquake