Japan radiation sets off O'Hare airport alarms

An American Airlines jet, right, taxis past United Airlines and United Express jets at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago as the Willis Tower looms in the background Oct. 5, 2010. / AP Photo

Updated at 3:01 p.m. ET

Trace amounts of radiation from Japan have been detected in Chicago, CBS News station WBBM-TV reports.

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Travelers coming in from Japan on Wednesday triggered radiation detectors at O'Hare International Airport as they passed through customs. Only very small amounts of radiation were detected.

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"We are aware of the radiation," said Chicago Aviation Department spokeswoman Karen Pride. "We are adding screenings and precautionary measures."

In one instance, radiation was detected in a plane's air filtration system. Radiation was also found in luggage and on passengers on flights from Japan.

Mayor Richard M. Daley and other city officials wouldn't provide any additional details, saying federal authorities were handling the situation.

"Of course the protection of the person coming off the plane is important in regards to any radiation and especially within their families," Daley said at an unrelated event.

The mayor said the city has no local policy when it comes to detecting radiation at the airports.

"That would be up to the federal government. Every city can't have a policy. One says yes, one says no, you can't do that. You have to have a federal policy dealing with anyone entering the country in regards to the situations like that," Daley said. "And they handle it very professionally and it will be up to Homeland Security. We've been working with them. They have the primary responsibility."

Homeland Security officials would not comment specifically on the radiation at O'Hare. But officials from Customs and Border Protection, which monitors ports, said they are monitoring radiation levels on flights and passengers coming from Japan.

"U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is monitoring developments in Japan carefully and is specifically assessing the potential for radiological contamination associated with the ongoing impact of the earthquake and tsunami to Japan's nuclear facilities," customs spokeswoman Cherise Miles said in an e-mail.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Thursday that no harmful levels of radiation have reached the U.S. since the nuclear crisis in Japan sparked by last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami, the Associated Press reports.

Homeland Security announced it was screening passengers and cargo entering the United States from Japan for "even a blip of radiation."

Customs and Border Protection routinely screens passengers and cargo for radiation. Agents have been advised this week to pay particular attention to arrivals from Japan.

Napolitano said the screening of passengers and cargo is being done "in an exercise of caution."

The agency handles more than half a million radiation alarms a year, though most are related to medical procedures.

United Airlines is the largest U.S. carrier to Asia. The airline said it isn't cutting flights to Asia but is monitoring the situation in Japan. United uses Tokyo's Narita airport as a hub for flights further into Asia.

[greco99-2009]

BBC us reporting 3 more days until traces are detectable over Europe.

And, that much of North America has received small amounts as well.

There is a lot of toxic material out there...

http://enenews.com/fukushima-plume-north-atlantic-caribbean-canadas-east-coast-yesterday-cloud-covered-north-america

[greco99-2009]

Radiation monitoring graphics:
http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2011/03/19/realtime-epa-japan-nuclear-fallout-radiation-graphs-west-coast-cities-9228/

check Fairbanks, Alaska. Gamma radiation jumps from 1000 cpm to 30k.

Photos and video of the reactors, and more.

This guy alexenderhiggings.com has more and probably better info than cbs, nbc and cnn combined.

Msnbc, which is partially owned by GE, is pathetic - you would barely know anything is happening in Japan (although originally they had headline coverage).

[greco99-2009]

Although we now know that the leading edge of the cloud is currently over the western US, common sense tells us that the portions of the cloud corresponding to the major explosions are due in several days.

[greco99-2009]

US radiation monitoring network (EPA):

https://cdxnode64.epa.gov/radnet-public/showMap.do

Why are so many nodes offline ?

[NinthSt78]

Despite all the bad publicity, there are times when lead can be a friend.

[FreshxWater]

Why wasn't an industrial diesel generator helicoptered in on the first day? That's just common sense! I believe the pulling in an electric cable is smoke and mirrors!

CEOs, executives, and board members from Tokyo Electric and GE should be the ones working in the plant now. This should be written INTO LAW. It's the only way you'll get corporations to follow proper safety procedures.
PS. Add in the Banker CEOs who finance the projects!

Google:Thom Hartmann: It's a bigger nuclear disaster then you think!
DO NOT WATCH if you think you'll PANIC!

[greco99-2009]

If the nuclear fallout continues to move east with the prevailing wind, the US government or others should take steps to induce rain (I believe silver iodide will do this). This is called a 'rain-out'.

While it is tragic to contaminate sections of the pacific, this would be better than if the cloud drifts to population centers on the west coast of the US and Canada.

Even more important because this cloud carries high concentrations of plutonium due the fuel mix (MOX) used at these reactors. And, if the fuel holding areas start to burn there will be an immense volume of particulate matter released.

Breathing, eating or drinking even a small concentration of the plutonium mix we are facing causes very ugly health problems and eventual death.

Moreover this type of particulate pollution is likely to create hot spots, possibly far from the site. And, these hot spots will remain toxic for a very long time. It is more like a trail of volcanic ash than a giant amorphous cloud, and will land in patchy streamers. Patches will land where there is rain, on mountainsides where there is updraft. and in temperature inversion fronts with downdraft...

We should do everything possible to map these hot spots and warn people.

This type of danger does not accurately compare to solar radiation or chest x-rays. And, measuring ambient radiation with any unit rad or seivert does not capture this extreme risk of plutonium contamination. which is much more toxic than the Chernoybl fuel.

Also, potassium iodide will do nothing to protect people from plutonium, which will contaminate land for longer the most can imagine. And, this material can enter the food chain where it will be concentrated.

Here are initial amatur simulations. http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/article.html?entrynum=1762

NYT claims the plume will hit the USA possibly starting today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/science/17plume.html?_r=1&hpw

They say it is small amounts, but ths could continue for weeks, and in truth the concentrations are not known. And, the disturbing part is that the US us not making much of the data public. News indicates fuel rods on the reactor roof when the explosions occured.

Plutonium self ignites upon contact with air (oxygen). This can cause it to rise and become airbourne.

Most lead particles in the west coast originate from coal plants in Chine, despite the fact that lead bars are very heavy.

Fine particles will drift long distances.

This is a very dangerous situation, absolutely without precident.

While I apprecate the need to avoid panic (and calm financial markets and all that). The media should stop trying to minimize very real hazards.

Journalists please do your part - tell the truth, stop with the minimization, and confront the lying nuclear lobbiests who seem to have infected your earlier coverage. Help people protect themselves.

[greco99-2009]

1. Induce rain ('rain out') before the cloud spreads.

2. Map the cloud with special attention to hot spots.

3. Provide accuate information that helps people protect themselves (especially pregnant moms and small children). Journalists please help mobilize not minimize...

4. Bring all resources to bear e.g. C-130's with water or ice. Forest fire tankers. Time is of the essence.

[JavMD]

ALL US NUKE plants have SPENT FUEL ROD BUNDLES in storage ! Yucca Mountain underground storage 'funding' was STOPPED by OBAMA to appease Sen Harry Reid a staunch Democratic supporter.

RESTORE FUNDING AND GET THOSE highly radioactive fuel rods stored underground ! ! ! ! !

CALL YOUR SENATORs and COngressmEN ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

[skepticalJM]

Yeah leave it in the hands of Homeland security! They will protect us like they kept out the 23 million illegal aliens that are still here!
I can just image, in a few weeks even the food at the grocery store will be contaminated. Those wonderful Toyota people will be sending over HOT cars.
Capitalism has really done it this time!

[servantRdw]

Trace amounts -> Travelers coming in from Japan on Wednesday triggered radiation detectors. Well then, since it's only trace amounts of "RADIATION in human beings" setting off alarms that are to detect radiation, and evidently not harmful, why don't you federali's re-calibrate them to detect much higher levels -> retards

[jasonland1]

The detectors are there to detect trace amounts of radiation kind of like the explosive detectors at the airport detect trace amount of explosives. Do you want the inspectors to say to the bomber that you just left a trace amount of nuclear material on you when you made the bomb so you can go?