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Highest Yet: 300 times over cesium limit in wild mushroom

Highest Yet: 300 times over cesium limit in wild mushroom — Found far
from Fukushima plant, 140 km away in Tochigi Prefecture
http://enenews.com/highest-yet-310-times-safety-limit-in-wild-mushroom-found-outside-fukushima-in-tochigi-prefecture August 7th, 2012
 August 6, 2012 report in the Nikkei Shinbun translated by EXSKF:
Highest level of cesium detected in wild mushroom
Tochigi Prefecture announced on August 6 that 31,000 Bq/kg of
radioactive cesium was detected in wild “Lactarius volemus” (tawny
milkcap mushroom) harvested in Nikko City, far exceeding the national
safety standard (100 Bq/kg).

[…]

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, it is the highest
level exceeding the amount detected in “Lactarius volemus” harvested
in Tanakura-machi in Fukushima Prefecture in September last year,
which measured 28,000 Bq/kg. The Tochigi prefectural government says,
“We believe the cesium absorption was largely from the soil, but
radioactive materials from the surrounding trees may also have
affected it.”

August 8, 2012 Posted by | environment, Japan | Leave a comment

Gov’t Releases Last Year’s Tests: “Contamination detected even in the Sea of Japan” — “Airborne material” blamed — Includes Niigata, Shizuoka, and Iwate  http://enenews.com/govt-releases-last-years-tests-contamination-detected-sea-japan-airborne-material-blamed-includes-niigata-shizuoka-iwate 
   August 5th, 2012  
By ENENews Title: Radioactive cesium found off of Niigata, Shizuoka, Iwate coasts: gov’t study

Source: Mainichi
Date: August 4, 2012

Radioactive cesium likely from the Fukushima nuclear disaster was detected last year in a survey of ocean waters and fish off Niigata, Shizuoka, and Iwate prefectures, the government announced on Aug. 3. “Even if taken internally, the radiation levels detected are not a risk to human health,” the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology stated. The ministry added it believes the small amount of contamination detected even in the Sea of Japan off Niigata was probably originally airborne material that made it to coastal waters through rain and river courses.

[…]

Test results:

  • In May last year that there were 9.1 millibecquerels of radioactive cesium per liter of seawater off Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture
  • In December, the survey found two becquerels per kilogram in a type of flounder in [Shizuoka]
  • In May last year, the survey found dried sea floor dirt from the southeast of Sado Island […] was contaminated with 31 becquerels of cesium per kilogram
  • In the ocean off Yamada, Iwate Prefecture […] 0.7 becquerels per liter of seawater were detected in May 2011

August 8, 2012 Posted by | Japan, oceans | Leave a comment

Environment sacrificed as UNESCO caves in to pressure on Tanzania uranium mining

Uranium Mining Project Posed to Destroy One of World’s Last Remaining Wildlife Heritage in Tanzania http://hamsayeh.net/articles/2110-uranium-mining-project-posed-to-destroy-one-of-worlds-last-remaining-wildlife-heritage-in-tanzania.html , 06 August 2012  UNESCO Fails to Protect World Heritage at Cradle of Mankind by uranium-network.org    August 02, 2012
Elephants, Rhinos and the environment under threat from 60 million tons of radioactive waste as World Heritage Committee agrees boundary change that will allow uranium mining at the Tanzania Selous Game Reserve – a World Heritage site. – A foreign uranium mining conglomerate will be allowed to exploit the precious Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania after the World Heritage Committee (WHC) decided, at its July 2012 session in Russia, to accept what was described as a “minor boundary change” of the site. The change had been requested by the Government of Tanzania, in order to make way for the development of a major uranium mine, Mkuju River Uranium Project, owned by Russian ARMZ and Canadian Uranium One.

The decision to allow the boundary change would allow the Mkuju River uranium project, situated in the South of the Selous Game Reserve at its transition to the Selous Niassa Wildlife Corridor, to go forward.
The Tanzanian Government lobbied heavily for the boundary change, after declaring its intent to ” win the battle” against the UNESCO WHC. Continue reading

August 6, 2012 Posted by | AFRICA, environment | Leave a comment

Radioactivity in Tokyo

Dr. Chris Busby: Entomb the reactors or have ‘Mad Max’ scenario.  http://optimalprediction.com/wp/dr-chris-busby-entomb-the-reactors-or-have-mad-max-scenario/ 3 Aug 12,  Chris Busby is calling for sealing off the Fukushima reactors, since they are still releasing huge amounts of radionuclides. Cost is no object. I would say that the whole site needs to be entombed, since steam and smoke are coming out of fissures in the ground. Also a boronated concrete barrier needs to be built underground, to stop the leakage of corium into the groundwater and the sea.

Busby has also done tests on an air-conditioning filter in a Tokyo apartment (here andhere), and has found huge amounts of cesium and uranium in it. Where there is uranium, there is plutonium too. These radionuclides are incredibly toxic.

August 3, 2012 Posted by | environment, Japan, Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment

Human effect on the atmosphere leads to skin cancer in fish

A whopping 15% of the fish surveyed had melanoma. … While 15% sounds high, Sweet and his colleagues believe it’s only a minimum estimate. “Once the cancer spreads further you would expect the fish to become quite sick, becoming less active and possibly feeding less, hence less likely to be caught. This suggests the actual percentage affected by the cancer is likely to be higher than observed in this study.”….

Fish with Melanoma – Our Enduring Environmental Legacy Scientific American. By Christie Wilcox | August 1, 2012 |     We’ve all heard the horror stories.   Melanoma is one of the most dangerous kinds of skin cancer, killing around 50,000 people worldwide every year. If caught early enough, it can be cured, but once it invades past the skin, it’s deadly. On the advice of doctors, we try to protect ourselves, donning floppy hats and coat upon coat of SPF 50 sunblock. We pick over our bodies in the mirror regularly, looking for dark, irregularly-shaped spots.  . The recent rise in the incidence of skin cancer,   though, is our own fault.

It is the result of our environmental hubris, a combination of a chemically-depleted ozone layer and our pathological obsession with a tanned physical appearance. Now, we’re becoming increasingly aware that our choices don’t just impact our own species. The rest of life has to deal with our poor decisions, and studies are just now determining the wide-ranging consequences of our actions.
Unable to slather on sunscreen, the creatures on our planet are much more limited in their ability to deal with the sun’s radiation Continue reading

August 2, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, oceans | Leave a comment

Mystery still shrouds uranium tailings storage

It is presently unknown what type of containment system —if any — would offer any degree of protection to groundwater or for how long at Coles Hill.

Mystery still shrouds uranium tailings storage, Star Tribune,  Karen B. Maute  August 1, 2012 Virginia Uranium Inc.’ website states: “Much of the tailings will be mixed with a cement-like substance and put back into the mine shafts and drifts, and the rest will be stored in heavily-monitored and regulated below-grade storage facilities.” Continue reading

August 2, 2012 Posted by | Uranium, USA, water | Leave a comment

High cesium levels in migratory fish in Pacific: Is Fukushima still leaking radiation?

the persistently high cesium numbers may be a sign that the Fukushima plant is still leaking radiation into the ocean.

Lead scientist surprised by Japan data: Fukushima plant still leaking radiation into ocean?  By ENENews Title: Post-Fukushima, Japan’s irradiated fish worry B.C. experts Source: Vancouver Free Press Author: Alex Roslin Date: July 19, 2012

The numbers show that far from dissipating with time, as government officials and scientists in Canada and elsewhere claimed they would, levels of radiation from Fukushima have stayed stubbornly high in fish. Continue reading

July 20, 2012 Posted by | Japan, oceans | Leave a comment

TEPCO covering seafloor with enormous amounts of concrete. Why?

Tepco completes covering seafloor with layers of cement mix — More coating used at Reactors 5 & 6 than for Reactors 1, 2, 3 & 4 combined (PHOTOS & VIDEOS)  July 19th, 2012   By ENENews   http://enenews.com/tepco-completes-covering-seafloor-with-layers-of-cement-mix-more-coating-used-outside-reactors-5-6-than-for-reactors-1-2-3-4-combined-photos-videos

And all those funny looking black containers which were placed/dropped into the water..just COVER those things up with LAYERS of CONCRETE. Next generation can worry about it. Sadly, Mr. TEPCOman, one has to ask WHAT next generation will be healthy enough to work the problem?

One question to ask..what happened at Reactors 5 and 6 to require as much concrete or MORE than Reactors 1-4? Were more containers dumped into the ocean? More meltdown corium heading for the ocean..or is the ground so unstable..I hope its not the last. Subsidence(loss of ground HEIGHT) could be raising its ugly head. That is bad– almost as bad as Reactor 1-4 “payloads.”

Also note the non-concern of “radiation” going out into the OCEAN. What do they think the ocean is? An endless pit? Its not.

July 20, 2012 Posted by | Fukushima 2012, Japan, oceans, Resources -audiovicual, wastes | Leave a comment

Fukushima radiation will be higher on USA West coast, than off Japan

Study: N. America’s West Coast to be most contaminated by Fukushima cesium of all regions in Pacific in 10 years — “An order-of-magnitude higher” than waters off Japan (MAPS) July 15th, 2012 Title: Model simulations on the long-term dispersal of 137Cs released into the Pacific Ocean off Fukushima, IOPscience, Erik Behrens, Franziska U Schwarzkopf, Joke F Lübbecke and Claus W Böning Continue reading

July 16, 2012 Posted by | oceans, USA | Leave a comment

Cancer and birth deformities toll, due to uranium radiation in Punjab groundwater

The effect of all this can be seen in the growing number of patients in the Malwa belt with cancer and other diseases and children being born with abnormalities. In fact, a train that connects Bathinda with Bikaner in neighbouring Rajasthan is known as the ‘Cancer Express’ as it ferries a large number of cancer patients from Punjab to Bikaner for treatment at a cancer hospital.

Groundwater contaminated, Punjab battles uranium curse Times of IndiaI  Jul 13, 2012,   CHANDIGARH, The high incidence of cancer and other diseases in Punjab’s Malwa belt has been highlighted over the last decade. Now, union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh  has confirmed the presence of uranium and other heavy metals in groundwater in the state, particularly the Malwa region, and serious efforts are afoot to control the damage. Continue reading

July 16, 2012 Posted by | health, India, Reference, water | Leave a comment

High radiation level at Fukushima school, even after ‘decontamination’

1,000,000 Bq/kg of cesium detected at Fukushima school… after being ‘decontaminated’ — “It’s obvious they will just leave it” – Local Official y 13th, 2012   By ENENews  July 11, 2012 post by Koichi Oyama, Minamisoma city council member, translated by Dissensus Japan:

1.000.000 Bq detected in a school after a decontamination conducted!

A University’s research team collected lichen at the entrance of the gymnastic hall of a school that restarted after a decontamination operation, and the sample measured the Cesium radiation level, 989.000 Bq/Kg.

It’s obvious they will just leave it. I told them my ideas at least, but I’m not sure if this inspired them to do anything. No one makes decision to get rid of dangers.
I want to believe that at least “school principal” won’t leave the danger at the place where students walk by. I would go there tomorrow to make sure.   Read the report here

July 14, 2012 Posted by | environment, Japan, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

USA exempting uranium mining on federal lands from environmental reviews

Republicans push through mining deregulation bill http://www.nuclearfreeplanet.org/articles/republicans-push-through-mining-deregulation-bill.html  7-13-2012   Joined by only 22 Democrats, Republicans successfully pushed through a bill allowing uranium mining on federal lands to be exempted from “formal environmental reviews. Also included in the exemption would be copper, silver, and gold. Rep. Ed Markey (Dem-MA) accused the Republicans  of “actually appear[ing] to be trying to usher in a new stone age,” saying the bill was “a pretext for gutting environmental protections relating to virtually all mining operations” and “a GOP giveaway game show here on the House floor.”
Rep. Rush Holt, Democrat- NJ joined Ed Markey in saying: “It has almost nothing to do with national strategic critical minerals production… Make no mistake, this is a giveaway… It is free mining, no royalties, no protection of public interest, exemption from royalty payments, near exemption from environmental regulations, near exemption from legal enforcement of the protections.”


LARRY MARGASAK (AP) l Seattle Times
 l 12 Juy 2012

Republicans pushed a bill through the House Thursday that allows the government to exempt gold, copper, silver and uranium mining on federal land from formal environmental reviews…

Read full text

July 14, 2012 Posted by | environment, politics, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

Concern over move to increase permitted radiation in landfill

Residents who attended said they were concerned that the meeting was rubber-stamping the permit, which would increase the landfill’s acceptable limit from 10 microrem to as much as 140 microrem.

Permit change to raise radiation level in landfill incites foes, Trib Live News, by Stacey Feredoff, 13 july 12,  Some South Huntingdon residents oppose a permit change for a local landfill to accept a higher level of radiation in waste.  Continue reading

July 14, 2012 Posted by | environment, USA | Leave a comment

Uranium mine danger to world heritage park in Tanzania

Tanzania gets U.N. nod for uranium mine in game park DAR ES SALAAM, July 5 (Reuters) – Tanzania has received U.N. approval for Australia-based miner Mantra Resources to build a $400 million uranium mine in a world heritage game reserve despite pressure from environmental groups opposed to the project, it said on Thursday.

Green groups have warned that toxic mining activities at the plant would harm the ecologically sensitive Selous Game Reserve in the east African country… http://af.reuters.com/article/tanzaniaNews/idAFL6E8I57YN20120705

July 6, 2012 Posted by | AFRICA, environment, Uranium | Leave a comment

How nuclear radioactivity has killed Japan’s surfing industry

AUDIO Japan’s surfers lament radioactive coast, Radio Australia 2 July 2012, Japan overnight restarted a nuclear reactor – the first time it’s done so since the Fukushima disaster. The move has polarised the country, with many fearing the reactor on the country’s west coast is just as vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis as the Fukushima plant.

And some of those fighting hardest against the restart of more nuclear
plants are Japan’s professional surfers, who say Fukushima’s coastline
was once regarded as one of the best surfing spots in the country. Continue reading

July 5, 2012 Posted by | environment, Japan, Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment