TOKYO, Aug. 7, 2008
U.S. Nuke Sub Leaked Radiation, Japan Says
Officials Claim Navy Vessel Dripped Radioactive Water For 2 Years At 3 Different Ports
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The U.S. nuclear-powered submarine La Jolla enters the U.S. naval base in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, Aug. 4, 2008 after another U.S. nuclear-powered sub, USS Houston, was found to have leaked a small amount of radiation at the port in March. (AP)
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On Aug. 1, the U.S. Navy notified Japan that the USS Houston had leaked water containing small amounts of radiation during three calls to the southern Japanese ports of Sasebo and Okinawa in March and April this year but caused no threat to people or the environment. The submarine also made stops in Guam and Pearl Harbor.
A new U.S. Embassy report released by the Japanese Foreign Ministry Thursday said the submarine was already leaking during nine earlier port calls in Japan and the amount of radiation leaked was larger than initially reported. It "has been steadily leaking a small amount" of radiation from June 2006 to July 2008 when it entered a drydock in Hawaii, the U.S. report said. It said the total leakage was still negligible.
The radiation leak has caused a stir in Japan where the continued presence of the U.S. military and its nuclear vessels draw complaints from residents about crime, noise and pollution linked to some 50,000 American servicemen based in the country. The presence of nuclear submarines is particularly sensitive, given that Japan is the only country the U.S. ever used atomic bombs against in the closing days of World War II.
"If we add all radiation leaked at every Japanese port, it would be still smaller than the amount of naturally occurring radioactivity found inside home smoke detectors," the Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement accompanying its release of the U.S. report. "Japan also has found no abnormality in its monitoring results during Houston's port calls since June 2006."
U.S. Embassy officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The USS Houston made three previously undisclosed calls at Sasebo in July 2006, February and April in 2007. The vessel was also leaking during its two port calls in Yokosuka, a large U.S. naval port near Tokyo, in 2007, and four calls in Okinawa in 2007, according to the embassy report.
News of the incident also comes just weeks ahead of the arrival of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington to be based in Yokosuka, just south of Tokyo.
The carrier's arrival, originally set for August under a Japan-U.S. security alliance, was delayed until late September because of a fire aboard the vessel in May, another incident that has caused safety concerns in Japan.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 23 Commentshttp://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/ssn-688.htm
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Posted by Rickstas at 05:40 PM : Aug 07, 2008
We didn''t want your bombs at Pearl Harbor, either.
Nobody can predict the future. We would be fools to give up the base in Japan that could become vitally important in the future. Especially after we paid such a high price to win it.
Posted by Rickstas at 05:40 PM : Aug 07, 2008"
Your emperor graciously extended an open-ended invitation on Dec 7, 1941.
Posted by Rickstas at 05:40 PM : Aug 07, 2008"
I was stationed in Okinawa in the 1990''s and early 2000''s and did some research while I was there:
The (per person) crime rate for US personnel stationed on Okinawa was ONE EIGHTH the crime rate of the Japanese. This is based on crime and incident records from BOTH the local constabulary and the US military.
If that confused you try this:
Per person, an Japanese is 8 times more likely to commit a crime.
I was there when the schoolgirl was raped by the navy and marine persons and it was covered night and day by the Japanese media. What was BARELY COVERED by the news was the schoolgirl from Nago that was raped and MURDERED by three Japanese from the mainland.
So, get off your uma and shut up.
585! Did that thing still float? At least you were an ssn sailor before you went to the boomers
Well gotta go hit the rain locker. Adios.
NNPS 8605, Orlando
NTPU IF, S1W
SSN585
SSBN730B
EAOS 11/91
Still working for the Navy as a Mechanical Engineer.
Nice to meet you, mucho gusto!
I was in 8304, NPTU IF, SSN690, EAOS 9/88
I was in 8304, NPTU IF, SSN690, EAOS 9/88
Which NNPS class were you in? I was in 8605. You are most likely wasting your time with people like Nancy. She, as well as others, have already made up their minds about nuclear power regardless of what the facts truly are. My lifetime occupational exposure after my 6 was only 125mRem. What most don''t realize is that there is more radioactive material exhausted from coal fired power plants every day than all the accidents the Navy has ever had, combined. Because it is not labeled as nuclear, nobody cares.
Posted by squidly8 at 04:34 PM : Aug 07, 2008
Yeah, ignant (sic) like us for not believing Ubama''s claim that inflating your tires and tune ups would take the place of drilling. More of Ubama''s condescending attitude to people who dare disagree with the ''baby Jesus''.
Friends and former staffers refuse to comment now, though they helped Edwards last fall by dismissing an October story in the Enquirer of a sexual relationship between Edwards and a campaign videographer when it initially broke.
"Sorry cannot help you on this one," wrote Jennifer Palmieri, a former top Edwards aide, in an e-mail Wednesday.
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Go ahead & keep it, no charge! Next time though we''ll charge you $4 a gallon.
I have zero health issues, 3 healthy children, all my hair and zero regrets because I have taken the time to educate myself on what the risks are associated with my radiation exposure.
Simply, the federal gov''t allows nuclear workers to get 5 Rem a year of exposure. The Navy''s limit is 500 millirem - 10% of the federal limit. Each command sets their limit lower than the Navy limit based on the historical exposure of their crews. If I remember right, my ship had a local limit of one quarter of the Navy limit.
Local policy was that if anyone was getting close to their limit they would remove them from the ship and not allow any additional exposure. I never remember anyone ever coming close to the limits. My cumulative exposure for my 6 years in the canoe club was significantly less than the Navy''s limit for 1 year.
If you take off the loss of radiation exposure due to not seeing the sun for months, it is probably a wash.
Your reaction is typical of someone who has fear of nuclear power but has no desire to inform themselves what the true risk to your health is. Fear only because you choose to remain ignorant.
Thats SUPER FANTASTIC!
Nuclear Radiation for EVERY BODY even the children.
ofcourse it safe, this is maintenant issue..
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