Updates on EPA's Monitoring Efforts | Japanese Nuclear Emergency: Radiation Monitoring | US EPA

Daily Data Summary

Last updated on Thursday, April 07, 2011 at 17:12:17

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. As part of the federal government's continuing effort to make our activities and science transparent and available to the public, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will continue to keep all RadNet data available in the current online database. EPA is working with its federal partners and has deployed additional monitors to Hawaii, Alaska, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

EPA is utilizing this existing nationwide radiation monitoring system, RadNet, which continuously monitors the nation's air and regularly monitors drinking water, milk and precipitation for environmental radiation. The RadNet online searchable database contains historical data of environmental radiation monitoring data from all fifty states and U.S. territories.

EPA will provide daily data summaries of our radiation air monitoring efforts. We will continue to keep all RadNet data available in the current online database.

Source: EPA

Union of Concerned Scientists: Cartoon April 2011

Source: ucsusa.org/

Radioactivity from Japanese nuclear plant leak found across Scotland

Experts are continuing to monitor radioactivity in Scotland from the badly damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) revealed that traces of iodine-131 have been found across the country.

Almost all air samples taken from its sites in Scotland have shown “very low levels” of iodine-131, which comes from the plant that experienced explosions after an earthquake and tsunami devastated north-east Japan last month.

Grass samples taken from around Scotland have also shown traces of radioactivity, as has a freshwater sample in Caithness and a rainwater sample.

Sepa claim that the levels found did not pose any risk to the public.

A spokeswoman said: “The concentration of iodine-131 in these samples is of no concern to human health and all of the concentrations reported to date are below the levels where regulatory control is necessary.

“Sepa will continue to monitor the environment, including sampling air, water, food, milk and grass, and will provide the information to the public and, where appropriate the Food Standards Agency, Scottish Water and the Drinking Water Quality Inspectorate.”

Iodine-131 was also found by the agency in sewage sludge in Glasgow.

The source of it is believed to be a combination of the isotope in rainfall, together with authorised releases from hospitals in the city.

Soil, other freshwater samples, cow and goats milk have all been analysed by Sepa, but to date, they have not shown the presence of detectable levels of iodine-131 from Fukushima.

Source: STV.TV/Scotland

7.4 Aftershock Knocks Out Power at Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant

Backup Generators Are Working, And No Radiation Has Been Detected

A 7.4 aftershock last night at around midnight knocked out power in parts of the Miyagi, Yamagata, Aomori, Iwate, Akita and other Japanese prefectures. While a tsunami warning was issued, but subsequently lifted.

2 of the 3 normal power transmission lines were knocked out at the Onagawa nuclear power plant. However, backup diesel generators are being used, there is no threat to the diesel generators from a large tsunami, and Japanese agencies are saying that there have been no change in radiation levels around the plants.

Therefore, unless the aftershock directly damaged the core or storage tanks, this should not turn into any real problem.

And there are no reports of additional damage to the Fukushima Daiichi or Daini nuclear power complex.

Updates as they come in.

Information courtesy of Kyodo News and NHK News.

Source: Washingtons Blog & DarkPolitricks

Fainting Goats Dubstep

First ban on all Japanese food over nuclear crisis

Tokyo (AFP) April 5, 2011
India banned all food imports from Japan Tuesday, the first country to impose a blanket block over radiation from a stricken nuclear plant, as shares in its operator plunged to an all-time low.

An Indian government statement said all food imports from Japan "stand suspended with immediate effect" for three months, or until "credible information is available that the radiation hazard has subsided to acceptable limits".

The move by India, which imports small amounts of fruits, vegetables and processed food, is the first nationwide ban, while several countries including China, Singapore and the United States have blocked food from some Japanese prefectures.

Source: seeddaily.com

How to Use SkyDrive’s 25 GB as a Mapped Drive for Easy Access

How to Use SkyDrive’s 25 GB as a Mapped Drive for Easy Access: "


SkyDrive is an online storage system included in Windows Live, which gives you 25 GB of space that you can sync to your desktop. Here’s how to connect it to your Windows 7 computer as a mapped drive.

First of all, you need to go to http://skydrive.live.com and use your Windows Live account (the same you use to access Hotmail, Messenger, Windows Live Mail or MSN) to log in and create the folders you want to use by using the New menu. You can create private and shared folders and customize the access for every one of them.



After your have created your folders, you will need to link your computer to your online ID so it can access them without asking for credentials every time.

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