Japan 2011 US National Radiation Monitoring

1. Japan 2011US National Radiation Monitoring Northwest Area Committee Meeting June 29, 2011 C. Terada, EPA

2. Japan 2011 • A 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami off the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011 • Due to infrastructure damaged, the plant suffered equipment failures and the loss of cooling that resulted in radiological releases into the atmosphere and adjacent marine waters. • All attempts to cool the reactors were made

3. US Response • Nuclear experts and response team from the Dept. of Energy, Department of Defense and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission went to Japan to support their nuclear safety and public protection efforts • All federal agencies with responsibility in public health, nuclear safety, transportation, food, and agriculture are fully engaged in monitoring the events to evaluate the possibility of environment or health impacts in the U.S.

4. US National Radiation Monitoring • EPA’s Mission • National monitoring of radiation particles in the atmosphere from the Fukushima Daiichi Plants • Coordinate and provide technical assistance to the other public health, nuclear safety, transportation, food, and agriculture agencies • Provide risk communication to the US population

5. EPA Effort • Utilize EPA's existing RadNet monitoring program to monitor fluctuations in background radiation levels; • Deploy additional monitors (deployable units) to fill in data gaps and areas where atmospheric dispersion expected: Aleutian Islands, Hawaii, Guam and Saipan; • Deployable units were also deployed to areas where fixed RadNet units were inoperable, e.g., Boise, Anaheim

6. EPA Region 10 Effort • Fixed RadNet Units: • Alaska (Juneau, Fairbanks, Anchorage) • Idaho (Boise) • Oregon (Portland, Corvallis) • Washington (Olympia, Spokane, Richland) • Deployable Units: • Alaska (*Dutch Harbor, *Nome, *Juneau) • *Boise

7. Monitoring Process • All deployable units had filters changed out and sent daily to EPA’s National Air & Radiation Environmental Lab (NAREL) in Montgomery, Alabama for analysis; • Quarterly RadNet milk, rain water, and drinking water samples also sent to NAREL for analysis • Processed data sets sent to EPA HQ for QA/QC • Final data sets sent to EPA Regions for State distribution • Final data sets also posted to the EPA Japan 2011 and EPA EnviroFacts websites

8. Comparing Chernobyl Data to Current Event Data

9. Current Situation • All EPA personnel manning deployable units have been demobilized • All deployable units have been demobilized, except for 2 units staged in Anchorage, AK • Information coordination with locals, States, and other elected officials being conducted • 90-day review of the national RadNet program with opportunity to provide feedback

10. EPA Commitment “Since the events in Japan occurred, EPA’s website has had thousands of views and we have received many positive comments from the public on the information we have made available. The Agency will continue to provide monitoring results to the public in a very open and transparent manner. While we do not expect radiation from the damaged Japanese reactors to reach the United States at harmful levels, I want to assure you that EPA will continue our coordination with our federal partners to monitor the air, milk, precipitation and drinking water for any changes, and we will continue our outreach to the public and the elected officials to provide information on our monitoring results.” – Administrator Lisa P. Jackson The Bottomline: The levels detected are far below levels of concern For more information and updates… FAQs on Japan Nuclear Emergency www.epa.gov/japan2011/japan-faqs.html Summary of monitoring results www.epa.gov/japan2011/rert/radnet-data-map.html Summary of laboratory results www.epa.gov/japan2011/rert/radnet-sampling-data.html