EPA ends Fukushima monitoring, Activists concerned about Strontium in Milk, Plutonium in Air

[flamingdem]

http://www.idealist.ws/

** Let's hope that UC Berkeley Lab continues


MAY 4, 2011

On the evening of May 3, the EPA posted on its Daily Data Summary page that the agency has unilaterally decided that due to the "consistent decrease in radiation levels across the country" it will begin transitioning to the normal "routine RadNet sampling and analysis process for precipitation, drinking water and milk," which is a protocol that calls for testing "milk and drinking water samples on a quarterly basis and precipitation samples as part of a monthly composite." The EPA is also considering removing from Hawaii, Alaska and other Pacific locations the "additional air monitors deployed in response to the Japan nuclear incident."

The EPA's startling move comes at a time when activists are criticizing the agency for not ramping up analysis of milk samples for radio-strontiums - strontium-89 was detected by the agency in early April in milk in Hawaii and strontium isotopes were detected in Moscow's air by a company named Radon in March - thus, there is a good chance that most food products in the U.S. contain trace amounts of radioactive strontium, but there is no data on this.

One recent article titled 'LIMITED TESTING OF MILK FOR RADIOACTIVE STRONTIUM PROMPTS NEW CONCERNS' by Risk Policy Report on May 3rd discusses this disturbing fact.
The article notes that the EPA is only "testing for the presence of radioactive strontium in milk in instances where it has already detected radioactive cesium, meaning that since the nuclear crisis began in March, EPA would have conducted only three tests for strontium in milk for the entire country. This is because, according to publicly available data, the agency has only detected cesium in milk samples in Hilo, Oakland, CA, and Montpelier, VT."

The article quotes one activist who said "It's hard to believe we're running that blind," - the activist noted that 'given that other radionuclides have been detected at much greater levels in milk, air and rainwater throughout the country, it is alarming that EPA is not testing for strontium more regularly...'
The article continues: 'Activists are in particular concerned about a lack of adequate strontium testing because it is considered to be one of the most dangerous radionuclides to be released during nuclear incidents due to its ability to accumulate in human bone. Like cesium, some forms of strontium also have a long half life, meaning the contamination will remain in the environment for decades.'

MORE AT LINK

[JDPriestly]

1. I don't know how meaningful this is.

http://www.enviroreporter.com/radiation-station-stats/

[tavalon]

2. You needn't do anything about which you do not know about.

What's the differed be teen the EPA and a Camel? The later cares a little more about what in the wafer.