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Sea Turtle Deaths Anger Mississippi Residents
By Rocky Kistner – “As a resident of coastal Mississippi for more than 30 years, Shirley Tillman is used to seeing a few drum fish, sea gulls or jelly fish wash up on nearby sandy shores. It’s a fact of life living by the sea. But in the past few weeks Shirley has come across something she’s never seen before; dead sea turtles washing up on beaches near spring break vacationers.
They are part of a growing number of dead fish, animals and birds she and other Mississippi residents have photographed washing in with the tides in recent weeks. For Shirley, a trip to the beach no longer provides the same relaxing refuge as before.
‘It’s very upsetting,” says Shirley, a grandmother and wife of a Pass Christian home builder. “I have never found anything like this until after the oil spill. It used to be if you found a dead dolphin or turtle it was front page news around here. Now it’s no big deal.'” Read more.
Virginia Department of Health: Don’t Drink the Rainwater, Contains Radioactive Particles
“By TIM PERSINKO – The Virginia Department of Health has issued a warning to state residents: do not drink rainwater.
The warning comes after radioactive particles released in Japan have been documented around the United States and now in places on the East Coast.
Virginia officials say that trace amounts of radioactive material have been detected across the country. ‘As a result of the incident with the nuclear power plant in Japan, several EPA air monitors have detected very low levels of radioactive material in the U.S.,’ state health commissioner Karen Remley said. ‘To date, none of Virginia’s multiple monitoring systems has detected a level of radioactive material that would pose a public-health concern.’
Although radiation readings have yet to raise real alarm, Virginian health officials have stepped up testing as a precaution. Scheduled monitoring of air, drinking water, vegetation, and milk will be moved up by a week to begin this Monday. Officials are also coordinating with federal and state partners to keep tabs on the concern.” Read more.
Virginia officials say that trace amounts of radioactive material have been detected across the country. “As a result of the incident with the nuclear power plant in Japan, several EPA air monitors have detected very low levels of radioactive material in the U.S.,” state health commissioner Karen Remley said. “To date, none of Virginia’s multiple monitoring systems has detected a level of radioactive material that would pose a public-health concern.”
Although radiation readings have yet to raise real alarm, Virginian health officials have stepped up testing as a precaution. Scheduled monitoring of air, drinking water, vegetation, and milk will be moved up by a week to begin this Monday. Officials are also coordinating with federal and state partners to keep tabs on the concern.
In Maryland, no rainwater warnings have been issued.
State health officials there say testing of rain water samples has not revealed any greater radiation readings. Maryland officials are telling residents that there is no need right now for residents to take potassium iodide tablets, the drug that protects the thyroid gland from radiation exposure.
Concerns about radioactivity on the East Coast come after trace amounts of the radioactive isotope Iodine-131 were found in rainwater samples in Boston. Public health officials there said the material matched particles released by the reactor in Sendai, Japan. Subsequent tests of drinking water in Massachusetts did not find any radioactivity, because rain water falling into drinking water becomes so diluted. The radioactivity in Iodine-131 decays very quickly – it has a half-life of 8 days.
Reactor No. 3 Core May Be Leaking at Damaged Fukushima Plant
“By Go Onomitsu and Takashi Hirokawa – (Bloomberg) – Japan’s nuclear regulator said a reactor core at the quake-damaged Fukushima power plant may be leaking after workers were injured by radioactive water.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said yesterday there may be some kind of leak from the reactor, causing high levels of radiation found in water in the basement of the reactor No. 3’s turbine building.
‘We’re trying to prevent a deterioration of the situation,” Prime Minister Naoto Kan said in a public address in Tokyo yesterday. ‘We must continue to work with a high sense of alertness.’
Repair work at the site of the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl has been plagued by explosions, fires and leaks of toxic material. The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., said pools of radioactive water had accumulated at other reactors, Kyodo News reported.” Read more.
Nuclear Expert: ‘Fukushima Probably Exceeds Chernobyl and There is No End in Sight’
Japanese Nuclear Expert (via translator): “This situation is very serious … This accident probably exceeds [the 3 Mile Island accident] or Chernobyl accidents and there is no end is sight yet … we have to immediately make accurate information disclosure and, based on the information disclosed, we have to analyze the health hazard and then we have to brief that to the residents …”
Radiation in Seawater, Soil May Be Spreading in Japan
“Associated Press – Workers at Japan’s damaged nuclear plant raced to pump out contaminated water suspected of sending radioactivity levels soaring as officials warned Monday that radiation seeping from the complex was spreading to seawater and soil.
The coastal power plant, located 140 miles northeast of Tokyo, has been leaking radiation since a magnitude-9.0 quake on March 11 triggered a tsunami that engulfed the complex. The wave knocked out power to the system that cools the dangerously hot nuclear fuel rods.
The frantic effort to get temperatures down and avert a widening disaster has been slowed and complicated by fires, explosions, leaks and dangerous spikes in radiation. Two workers were burned after wading into highly radioactive water, officials said.
On Monday, workers resumed the laborious yet urgent task of pumping out the hundreds of tons of radioactive water inside several buildings at the six-unit plant. The water must be removed and safely stored before work can continue to power up the plant’s regular cooling system, nuclear safety officials said.
Contaminated water inside Unit 2 has tested at radiation levels some 100,000 times normal amounts, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said.” Read more.
Low Levels of Radioactive Particles Found in Massachusetts Rain Water
The levels are very low, but it does demonstrate how far radiation has spread since the start of the disaster.
Video Slideshow: The ‘Corexit Death’ of the Gulf of Mexico
A video slideshow of the ‘Corexit Death’ that continues to wash upon the shores of Gulf coast beaches. Will this ever end?
These 8 Shocks Are About To Slam The Global Economy
By Gregory White, Business Insider, “The world is being hit with, or will soon be hit with, 8 shocks to the global economy, according to Citi strategist Guillermo Felices.
It all started with surging food prices in developing markets, but now it may be spreading from the emerging markets to the developed world.
It’s important to understand how the first seven of these crises relate to one another, and how the eighth is exacerbating an already difficult situation.
We go through Guillermo Felices’ shocks and detail each, looking into how each is transpiring and impacting the global economy.” Read more.
Emergency Workers Flee Nuclear Plant After Report of Radioactivity Reaching ’10 Million Times Higher Than Normal’
(AP) “TOKYO — Emergency workers struggling to pump contaminated water from Japan’s stricken nuclear complex fled from one of the troubled reactors Sunday after reporting a huge increase in radioactivity — a spike that officials later apologetically said was inaccurate.
The apology came after employees fled the complex’s Unit 2 reactor when a reading showed radiation levels had reached 10 million times higher than normal in the reactor’s cooling system. Officials said they were so high that the worker taking the measurements had withdrawn before taking a second reading.
On Sunday night, though, plant operators said that while the water was contaminated with radiation, the extremely high reading was a mistake.
‘The number is not credible,’ said Tokyo Electric Power Co. spokesman Takashi Kurita. ‘We are very sorry.’
He said officials were taking another sample to get accurate levels, but did not know when the results would be announced.” Read more.
Update: It’s ‘only’ 100,000 times higher than normal.
Anarchy in the United Kingdom: 500,000 March in London Protesting Budget Cuts
Hooded anarchists throw paint and set off flares on Oxford Street- Police targeted with missiles and light bulbs filled with ammonia
- Windows at The Ritz smashed as masked youths run wild
- Anti-capitalist smash banks and cash points in city centre rampage
- Five police officers injured in clashes, one seriously
- Labour leader Ed Miliband likens protest to anti-apartheid movement
Anarchists today broke away from one of the largest protests Britain has ever seen to bring chaos to the streets of London.
The Ritz hotel and Fortnum & Mason were among the buildings targeted in the capital after groups of rampaging youths intent on spreading havoc left the mass anti-cuts demonstration.
Around 500,000 activists and campaigners descended on London this morning to protest at the Government’s drastic cuts programme.
But while the main march and rally in Hyde Park, which was addressed by Labour leader Ed Miliband, remained peaceful, splinter groups of anarchists went wild.” By By IAN GALLAGHER and GEORGE ARBUTHNOTT. Read more.
Thousands of UK Fish Killed in Stream, Chemical Poured in Water Suspected
“by Rachel Flint, Chester Chronicle – THOUSANDS of dead fish have been found floating in a picturesque stream after harmful pollution was allegedly poured down drains.
The surface of a small stream in Caldy Valley Nature Park in Huntington was littered with the bodies of 10,000 fish on Wednesday (March 23), after a suspected chemical attack.
Families and couples enjoying a stroll in the glorious sunshine in the council-owned park were greeted by the gruesome sight of rangers clearing the bodies, which lined the brook near Sainsbury’s supermarket.
Thousands of roach, dace, chubb, gudgeon, lamprey, stone loach and eels were killed in the incident which was reported to Cheshire West and Chester Council at just after 1pm on Wednesday.” Read more.
Gagging Order on Scientists Probing Dolphin Deaths as U.S. Builds Criminal Case Against BP
“By DAILY MAIL REPORTER – Scientists probing the deaths of baby dolphins in the area affected by last year’s BP oil spill have been ordered by the government not to speak about the project.
Wildlife biologists who have been contracted by the National Marine Fisheries Service to investigate a huge rise in dolphin mortality this year must keep their findings confidential.
The gagging order was imposed because the review of the deaths is part of the federal criminal investigation into last year’s BP disaster.
A letter sent out to senior scientists who are not working on the project and are baffled by the silence, said: ‘Because of the seriousness of the legal case, no data or findings may be released, presented or discussed outside the investigative team without prior approval.’
About 90 dolphins died last year, but this year the toll has jumped to 200 already.” Read more.




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