Guam considers legislation on radiation issue

[unhappycamper]

Guam considers legislation on radiation issue
y Teri Weaver, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Sunday, August 10, 2008

TOKYO — Lawmakers on Guam were to vote Friday night on legislation that would study the feasibility of installing a permanent radiation detector near its port, one day after U.S. Navy officials admitted a nuclear-powered submarine had leaked trace amounts of radiation off of Guam and Japan for two years.

The legislation would put $100,000 toward the feasibility study and an independent investigation of the leakage from the USS Houston, according to Sen. Benjamin J. F. Cruz, the bill’s sponsor.

Acting Gov. Michael W. Cruz, a Republican, expressed his support for the measure Friday afternoon, before the scheduled vote in the Democratically controlled legislature.

"This is a concern for our people and it needs to be addressed by our island’s leaders," Cruz said in a written statement. "We recognize we do not have the expertise on Guam, which is why our agencies are seeking out existing policies to address this matter."

On Thursday, Navy officials told the governments of Guam and Japan that the Houston had leaked trace amounts of radiation from June 2006 to July. The leak was discovered in mid-July during scheduled maintenance in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56654