Radiation levels, etc.

It seems that media outlets are very excited about the continuing situation at the Fukushima Daiichi (=Fukushima No. 1) nuclear plant, owned/operated by Tokyo Electric (a.k.a. 東京電力 or TEPCO).  The plant is about 170 miles north-northeast of Tokyo (174 miles from my place in Yokohama).  


There have been several releases of radioactive material, mostly in the form of steam from the cooling system, which was released to relieve pressure inside the reactor and protect the reactor's containment vessel.  This vessel is a safety device designed to contain the nuclear fuel, etc, in case of a critical event (meltdown, I guess).  An expert on public TV (NHK) said the highest level of ambient (in the air) radiation currently in the Fukushima region is still 1/240-th of a single CT scan.  The latest news is of contamination found in spinach and milk 60 miles or more from the plant.  Distribution of produce from the area was promptly halted.  Good that someone's checking.  


According to a US Embassy notice tonight (3/22 8:30pm), measured radiation levels in the Tokyo area are not elevated at all:

"...radiation monitoring by the Japanese government, U.S. government assets, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) all indicate that levels of radiation measured in Tokyo as well as Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures remain at background levels, well below levels which are dangerous to human health. The Japanese Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is providing regular updated radioactivity measurements by prefecture, available online. This data appears consistent with measurements generated by WHO, the IAEA and the U.S. government. WHO information is available at www.wpro.who.int and IAEA data at www.iaea.org. U.S. government experts have also continuously monitored radiation levels on Embassy grounds since March 14, using sophisticated radiation detection meters including high-volume pump samplers that collect information on a 24-hour basis. We have consistently observed normal background levels of radiation."


[Note: "background level" means the amount of radiation that's normally found in the atmosphere.] 


Things are pretty normal here.  We haven't had any blackouts in our neighborhood, which I hear is because we share our sub-grid with a major train line nearby.  The store shelves are full again, and there's just one gas station around that's empty.  The news said one devastated town went from over 10,000 refugees in its evacuation centers to below 4,000, which seems to be a positive sign.  Of course their recovery has barely begun, but at least the roads are opening and they're getting basic necessities (Hanes is sending t-shirts!).  They've even begun erecting temporary housing units (after 10 days).  That took two weeks or more after the Kobe/Hanshin quake, and much longer after Katrina (remember the trailer fiasco?).  Above all, I'm amazed by the steady manner of the people there, whether they've lost parents, children, their house, car, or all of the above.  Maybe they're still in shock.