Category Archives: Fukushima

Nuclear Issues in the News

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The big news this week is that Donald Trump and Kim Jon Un will be meeting.

Let’s hope something good comes out of the meeting that will de-escalate the possibility of nuclear conflict.

Analysts are trying to determine if Russia is really deploying a nuclear powered cruise missile.

Also, as we approach the anniversary of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear events, Safecast is being covered by Japan Times.

And the sailors of the USS Ronald Reagan, deployed to provide relief during … Continue Reading →

Diablo Canyon Transition, Fukushima Apology

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A deal has been struck to decommission the PG&E reactors at Diablo Canyon. The reactors have been controversial for many years due to the close proximity of seismic fault lines. There has also been increased concern about the coastal location along the “Ring of Fire” since the tsunami generated nuclear emergencies at Fukushima Daiichi.

The deal will replace the power generated by Diablo Canyon with other renewable energy sources.  Scientific American covers the story here.   NRDC provides perspective here.

On … Continue Reading →

Dr. Ken Buesseler: Fukushima Cesium Approaching California

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The good news is that is extremely diluted.  The bad news is that it is still being released at the source at Fukushima Daiichi.   Dr. Buesseler is considered to be one of the world’s leading experts on radioactivity in the world’s oceans.  He shared the results of his findings today in a group conversation on Reddit, and there was a lively discussion that will undoubtedly continue.… Continue Reading →

Fukushima Daiichi Shadow Reveals Light in Quests for Safety and Transparency

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The National Academies of Sciences report on Fukushima, mandated by the US Congress, was released recently.  The focus of this report is on lessons learned that can improve safety at U.S. nuclear power plants. Among many recommendations  is one that the NRC and the U.S. nuclear industry must continuously monitor and maintain a strong safety culture and should examine opportunities to increase the transparency of and communication about their efforts to assess and improve nuclear safety.

Also addressed was the … Continue Reading →

Ocean Radiation Health

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Dr.Ken Buessler, senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Director of the Center for Marine and Environmental Radioactivity, has launched a crowd funded project to assess ocean contamination from the Fukushima Daiichi event.  See information on this program here.

Safecast has compiled reports and assessments of impacts on the Pacific Ocean, and added some perspective here.

We are continuing to cover the Surferʻs Beach, Half Moon Bay analysis of radioactive sand.  We have determined it is not related to … Continue Reading →

Japan, Fukushima, U.S. Policy, Questions and More Questions.

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They call me the “Questions Girl.”   I wish I could say I donʻt know why.  But it wouldnʻt be authentic of me.   I really care about the planet.   I am insatiably curious about why things happen.  My teachers tell me that is good as long as I know when to stop.   Iʻm still learning about that.

The NY Times has been giving a lot of coverage to Fukushima these days.  I like to read the Times every day when I … Continue Reading →

BBC Article asks “What Have We Learned from Fukushima”

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“People were just told to head north west……..but that was exactly the same direction the radiation cloud was moving. Some people were evacuated to an area where the radiation was even higher than here.”

Numerous reports were published by Three Mile Island Public Health Fund after the nuclear accident on March 28, 1979.  Recommendations were made on emergency management, improvements in off-site monitoring, communications, and more.

On April 26, 1986 Chernobyl  presented another opportunity to learn about managing a nuclear … Continue Reading →