U.S. Sailors Want Justice for Illnesses That May Have Come from Helping Fukushima

[unhappycamper]

http://www.care2.com/causes/u-s-sailors-want-justice-for-illnesses-that-may-have-come-from-helping-fukushima.html

U.S. Sailors Want Justice for Illnesses That May Have Come from Helping Fukushima
by s.e. smith
February 16, 2015

In 2011, Japan was struck by a devastating earthquake and tsunami that riveted the world, especially after the nuclear power plant at Fukushima went into crisis. Trained responders arrived from all over the globe to lend mutual aid — including US sailors. As Miharu Takizakura, the waterfall cherry of Miharu, looked on, people attempted to halt the runaway reactions at Fukushima while cleaning the region. The tree is more than 1,000 years old and it appears unruffled by the incident, merrily continuing to bloom every spring; it’s become a symbol of recovery for Fukushima, and Japan at large.

Unfortunately, the Navy sailors who responded to the crisis weren’t so lucky. Some 77,000 US Navy personnel descended upon Japan to help with recovery and relief across the tsunami-stricken nation, including those who were stationed in Japan. And since then, some of them have gotten sick. Very sick. In several cases, sailors have died. Others have developed thyroid disease, cancers like leukemia, and other medical problems. While it’s always difficult to definitively link symptoms to specific exposures, the commonalities between cases — such as multiple cases of thyroid disease diagnosed among people who share the common thread of serving aboard the USS Ronald Reagan when it reported for Operation Tomodochi — suggests that radiation may be at least partly responsible.

The US Navy insists this isn’t the issue, claiming the radiation levels people were exposed to were relatively low. Tepco also claims radiation levels were low. But affected sailors are suspicious. For one thing, at the end of Operation Tomodochi, sailors on the Ronald Reagan were asked to sign documents indicating that they couldn’t sue the US government and that they were in good health, with no medical concerns — which sounds, to some of them, like a suspicious move to absolve the government of liability. There’s also dispute over how much radiation was on board the ship, and how much radiation people on land in Japan were exposed to.

Sailors concerned about the illnesses that affected them and their family members are stuck in a bind, as they can’t sue the US government. But there’s nothing to stop them from suing Tepco, which is why they’ve been battling it out with the Japanese firm for several years. Cases filed against the firm have been dismissed in the past, but they’re continuing to fight — and the cases of people like Master Chief Petty Officer Leticia Morales, who has been in and out of hospitals trying to track down an elusive illness she attributes to her radiation exposure, testify to the words of the roughly 100 sailors involved in the suit. Another officer, Maurice Enis, has been experiencing hair loss and other health problems, and he’s concerned about his fertility. While their numbers are small, they’re concerned about the implications of their exposure, and they want assistance with the costs of health care and, in some cases, going on permanent disability as their health deteriorates.

[NV Whino]

1. I am sick and goddamned tired of the "don't worry, be happy" attitude

The U.S. takes when our military is exposed to deadly elements. Fukushima, agent orange, depleted uranium, to mention a few.

Own up to the problem, and at the very least, give them health care.

[procon]

2. The US has a long history of denying medical care

to those they place in harms way. Recall the soldiers who were exposed to radiation during A-bomb testing after WWII, Agent Orange in Vietnam, Depleted Uranium in Iraq, and how many other incidents when the US refused to acknowledge that problems even existed. It took years of legal fighting for those people to get their illness recognised so they could be treated.