States Radiation Control
Agencies Assisting with Health and Safety Concerns Following Japanese
Reactor Incidents
As the dynamic events at the Fukushima reactors in
Japan continue to unfold, following the devastating earthquake and
tsunami that occurred recently, radiation protection professionals and
federal and state agencies in this country are being asked to address
health and safety concerns of Americans regarding the events.
We have been coordinating the public health
response and messages to the public with CDC and the National Alliance
for Radiation Readiness, which includes:*
Several of the Pacific coast states have placed
useful information on their websites as shown in the links below.
Several of those also have links to information from national and
international radiation agencies and organization websites for
additional information.
Japan event statements
from the States of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii
Alaska
http://www.hss.state.ak.us/press/2011/Reactor_pr_031511.pdf
http://www.hss.state.ak.us/prepared/radiological.htm
"The State of Alaska, along with our Federal counterparts, is
continually monitoring the situation in Japan regarding their nuclear
reactors. According to officials, at this time there is no immediate or
anticipated threat of nuclear radiation reaching Alaska. We will
continue to monitor the situation and notify the public through regular
media channels and this website should the situation change."
(Posted 3/15/2011)
Washington
"We don’t expect significant levels of radioactivity in our state, and
there’s no health risk. Japan is thousands of miles from our state, and
if radioactivity from the reactors there is released to the upper
atmosphere it would be thinned-out by the winds before it could reach
us. We could see a very small increase in radiation levels — well below
levels that would be a health concern. We’re working with federal,
state, and local agencies in a coordinated effort to monitor radiation
levels in the air and rain water." (Posted 3/18/2010)
Oregon
http://public.health.oregon.gov/Preparedness/CurrentHazards/Pages/index.aspx
"No Health Risk to Oregon from Japanese Radiation Events"
(Updated 3/18/2011)
California
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/CDPHCalEMAstatementMarch152011.aspx
http://calemanews.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/statement-from-california’s-department-of-public-health-and-emergency-management-agency-on-risk-of-radiation-exposure/
"We urge Californians to not take potassium iodide as a precautionary
measure. It is not necessary given the current circumstances in Japan,
it can present a danger to people with allergies to iodine, shellfish or
who have thyroid problems, and taken inappropriately it can have serious
side effects including abnormal heart rhythms, nausea, vomiting,
electrolyte abnormalities and bleeding." (News release
3/15/2010)
Hawaii
http://hawaii.gov/health/about/pr/2011/11-024.pdf
"The DOH Indoor and Radiological Health Branch (IRHB) is closely
monitoring information on the radiation release, and with the current
size of the release and the distance from Hawaii, no public health risk
to the state is expected." (3/14/2011)
last updated 6/12/2012