LA Times spin on - Radiation Headed for California

[flamingdem]

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-japan-nuclear-usa-20110317,0,1431467.story

Atmospheric experts said the material should begin showing up on the West Coast as early as Friday, though it could take up to an additional week for the 5,000-mile trip from Japan to Southern California. Although the organization has told its member countries that the first indication of radiation would hit on Friday, the plume from a North Korean nuclear test in 2006 took about two weeks to travel to North America, U.N. officials said.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which oversees the U.S. nuclear industry, said Wednesday that it did not expect dangerous levels of radioactivity to hit the West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska or U.S. territories in the Pacific. But whatever levels reach the U.S. initially are likely to increase in subsequent days, because radioactive emissions from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have grown since the disaster began Friday. The NRC sharply raised its warning to American citizens in Japan, urging them to evacuate an area within 50 miles of the Fukushima complex. Japanese authorities have ordered an evacuation within about 12 miles of the plant.

-- more at link

[flamingdem]

1. Wait a sec, they mentioned PLUTONIUM folks

Of particular concern, however, is Fukushima's No. 3 reactor. It uses plutonium fuel, which poses a special health risk even in small quantities if fallout from that reactor were to reach U.S. shores.

This is what has me very concerned since supposedly one molecule can do big damage. Any insight appreciated by the more nuclearly inclined.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. See what I said about filters

Plutonium is fairly heavy... so I am hoping it falls though

[flamingdem]

4. So we have to wonder if the journalist researched that

lots of bad info will be circulated.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. I fear Rachel is our only hope

[flamingdem]

7. Rachel is ahead of the curve, and honest nt

[jtuck004]

9. Reactor 3 uses a fuel called MOX

...Specifically, MOX fuel refers to a blend of plutonium and natural uranium, reprocessed uranium, or depleted uranium. ...reactors that predominate nuclear power generation...

here...

Unless you are in the 50-mile zone around the reactor you may not have much to worry about. It is the perhaps the most powerful of the fuels in use there, and something they may well be concentrating on - i.e. why they dropped water on that and 4.

Most of the sources I have read say unless the core on #3 blows up and spews plutonium into the air, the risk from that fuel in the U.S. is minimal, at least from Japan. There is little discussion of the steam that is coming out, and even though contaminated most likely would not rise to the level of jumping on the jetstream and hitching a ride to Seattle. That still leaves the products of the accidents at the others, not likely to be as hazardous this far away.

The biggest problem is likely to be in that 50 mile radius around the plant. For 800 years or more.

Be optomistic about this, unless you see a reactor blow up and fly into the sky. I suspect our government is monitoring this, and if there was anything much greater than the normal radiation we eat, and use to see broken bones, get while flying, etc, they would be all over us about stockpiling duct tape and plastic sheeting. Again. I don't see the upside for them to let a lot of people get sick the year before and during an election. The only group that might see the good side of that is the Westboro Baptist Church, and they are delusional.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. They changed the filters on the equipment

at least in Orange County, so they set the gear as close to "zero"

I expect to be minimal, but as I keep saying, look what they do, not what they say

[Newest Reality]

6. I think it is common knowledge by now that

plutonium is one of the baddest mojos. Time and time again I have read about the potency of it. Maybe somebody can refute this, but I understand that just one speck of plutonium in your lungs is a death sentence because it guarantees you will die of terminal lung cancer just by its presence.

[aquart]

8. Define "speck."

[Dover]

10. Seems darkly, strangely poetic that Japan might be the source of our radiation exposure. n/t