EPA Halted Extra Testing for Radiation From Japan Weeks Ago

tpsbmam

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Sun Jun-26-11 04:26 PM
Original message

EPA Halted Extra Testing for Radiation From Japan Weeks Ago

<snip>

Radiation is expected to continue spewing for months from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that suffered a meltdown following an earthquake and tsunami in March, but despite grim reports from Japan, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has quietly stopped running extra tests for radioactive material in America's milk, rain and drinking water.

<snip>

In March and April, samples of milk, rain and drinking water from across the country tested positive for radiation from the Fukushima plant. The radiation fell in rain across the US and was absorbed by plants and dairy cows.

The EPA insisted that the radiation levels were too low to cause public health concern, but Truthout identified gaps in the agency's data and nuclear critics said the EPA has failed to acknowledge that even small amounts of radiation could be dangerous.

Now the EPA has returned to routine testing of milk and drinking water once every three months and testing rainwater once a month. The EPA continuously monitors background radiation with more than 100 air filter monitors, but nuclear critics say more testing should be done.

More at Truthout.

Typical. It's pathetic that I don't believe a word they say anymore and that's as true under Obama as it was under Bush. They've been downplaying this from the start, just as they have the Gulf. What bullshit.

:mad:

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dkf

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Sun Jun-26-11 04:29 PM
Response to Original message

1. This is criminal.

People deserve the right to make informed decisions.

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MadHound

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Sun Jun-26-11 04:31 PM
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2. Of course not,

Can't alarm the public and risk the profits of the nuclear industry.

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KoKo

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Sun Jun-26-11 04:36 PM
Response to Original message

3. States need to be monitoring this and NOT leaving it up to the EPA.

Also what about the Universities and Colleges who have science programs that could monitor this? Are they being silenced? Are they told their grants will be cut off if they monitor this radiation?

So many questions but we know that Big Nuke Money is just waiting with all those approvals for many new plants. And, Big Business usually gets what it wants even if people are exposed without their knowledge.

Big Pharma also wins if people become sick from radiation and need to be on chemo. The Funeral Industry also has an interest.

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Poll_Blind

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Sun Jun-26-11 04:39 PM
Response to Original message

4. You know what's going to happen? If you child comes down with thyroid cancer a few years from...

Edited on Sun Jun-26-11 04:41 PM by Poll_Blind

...now, there's going to be absolute nothing you can do about it. Think about how belated they were to start that up, how inadequate it was, and how quick they were to shut it down. This is really damned serious I see this as criminal negligence given the severity of the situation. You've got people from 40m from Fukushima pissing out radioactive cesium.

How the fuck should I believe that the US govt. can protect me from terrorists if they can't even identify how much radiation is in the air from a known and ongoing contamination event?

This is not some quasi-abstraction like "If I eat shrimp, is the FDA making sure I'm not getting toxins from the BP oil spill in it?" I live in the Pacific Northwest. This is my 24/7, and my family and everyone around here.

PB

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Riftaxe

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Sun Jun-26-11 07:53 PM
Response to Reply #4

6. And what is stopping you from

running all the tests you want?

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Poll_Blind

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Sun Jun-26-11 09:05 PM
Response to Reply #6

8. Not having the scientists and equipment to run the tests.

:shrug:

PB

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Name removed

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Sun Jun-26-11 07:51 PM
Response to Original message

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

BeFree

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Sun Jun-26-11 08:15 PM
Response to Reply #5

7. Well,

This is a unique event. In other words, has never happened before.
So to claim that it is gonna be ok is just a lot of malarkey, because NO ONE KNOWS what will happen and what the ramifications will be. We do know that inhaling or ingesting radioactive particles is BAD for us.

The EPA stopping testing is like saying: We passed 6th grade science, now we can stop trying to learn anymore.

Again: anyone who tells you not to be alarmed is not to be trusted.

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Poll_Blind

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Sun Jun-26-11 09:07 PM
Response to Reply #5

9. And don't forget cancers in adults and children, babies born deformed.

Edited on Sun Jun-26-11 09:08 PM by Poll_Blind

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