Geiger Counter Readings in Seattle, WA on May 17, 2013
Ambient office = .085 microsieverts per hour
Ambient outside = .061 microsieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = .056 microsieverts per hour
Asparagus from Costco = .128 microsieverts per hour
Tap water = .105 microsieverts per hour
Filtered water = .098 microsieverts per hour
I have mentioned in a previous blog about the involvement of the Yakuza, the Japanese criminal syndicates, in the nuclear industry in Japan. For decades, they have supplied cheap labor to the nuclear industry. They are connected to the real estate market and construction industry in Japan. Their influence reaches into government. The pervasive presence of the Yakuza in the Japanese nuclear industry has been getting increase scrutiny lately because of Fukushima.
Geiger Counter Readings in Seattle, WA on May 16, 2013
Ambient office = .141 microsieverts per hour
Ambient outside = .103 microsieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = .112 microsieverts per hour
Asparagus from Costco = .123 microsieverts per hour
Tap water = .114 microsieverts per hour
Filtered water = .099 microsieverts per hour
Japan is poor in conventional energy resources. It is dependent on coal, oil and natural gas imports for the majority of its power generation. Nuclear power was seen as an alternative source of energy despite the fact that uranium fuel has to be imported. One possible solution to that problem was the creation of a fast-breeder reactor program.
Geiger Counter Readings in Seattle, WA on May 15, 2013
Ambient office = .116 microsieverts per hour
Ambient outside = .080 microsieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = .084 microsieverts per hour
Celery from Costco = .105 microsieverts per hour
Tap water = .076 microsieverts per hour
Filtered water = .067 microsieverts per hour
I briefly mentioned radioactive materials and landfills recently in the context of disposal of drill tailings from fracking. There are standards for what levels of radioactivity are acceptable in landfills today. However, there are exemptions for wastes generated by nuclear weapons related operations.
Geiger Counter Readings in Seattle, WA on May 14, 2013
Ambient office = .056 microsieverts per hour
Ambient outside = .088 microsieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = .114 microsieverts per hour
Dried Apricot from Costco = .095 microsieverts per hour
Tap water = .067 microsieverts per hour
Filtered water = .043 microsieverts per hour
I have written several blogs about the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Aside from the fact that I live in Western Washington, the main reason I have focused on Hanford is that it contains a huge quantity of toxic radioactive waste that has proven very difficult to clean up. Leakages at Hanford threaten the Columbia River and the communities that depend on it for drinking water, industry and irrigation.
Geiger Counter Readings in Seattle, WA on May 13, 2013
Ambient office = .046 microsieverts per hour
Ambient outside = .061 microsieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = .071 microsieverts per hour
Banana from Costco = .105 microsieverts per hour
Tap water = .127 microsieverts per hour
Filtered water = .100 microsieverts per hour
Geiger Counter Readings in Seattle, WA on May 12, 2013
Ambient office = .069 microsieverts per hour
Ambient outside = .081 microsieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = .062 microsieverts per hour
Vine ripened tomato from Costco = .090 microsieverts per hour
Tap water = .119 microsieverts per hour
Filtered water = .105 microsieverts per hour
Half of the nuclear reactors on Lake Michigan have been shut down. beyondnuclear.org
Geiger Counter Readings in Seattle, WA on May 11, 2013
Ambient office = .086 microsieverts per hour
Ambient outside = .077 microsieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = .080 microsieverts per hour
Romaine lettuce from Costco = .141 microsieverts per hour
Tap water = .097 microsieverts per hour
Filtered water = .081 microsieverts per hour
In a recent post I mentioned problems they were having problems with the cleanup at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The situation is getting a lot more press recently. There are around fifty four million gallons of highly toxic nuclear waste stored in the tanks buried at Hanford. The older single wall tanks are leaking and they are transferring the contents of some of them to double walled tanks. Now it appears that some of the double walled tanks are also leaking.
Geiger Counter Readings in Seattle, WA on May 10, 2013
Ambient office = .087 microsieverts per hour
Ambient outside = .100 microsieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = .088 microsieverts per hour
Mango from Costco = .121 microsieverts per hour
Tap water = .106 microsieverts per hour
Filtered water = .085 microsieverts per hour
