Colorado Dept of Public Health and Environment put this out earlier today. I got it from the County Sheriff’s dept. I’d have been more inclined to trust the CDPHE
Are there really a significant number of Coloradans panicking about the potential for radiation exposure?
http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/e…
March 16, 2011
FAQs: Japanese Nuclear Power Plant Concerns
Q. What is the impact of the event in Japan on people in the
United States?
A. At this time, there is no indication that materials from the incidents in Japan have the potential to have any significant radiological effect on the United States.
Q. What’s the risk for Colorado from the current nuclear power emergency in Japan?
A. At present, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) says Japan’s nuclear emergency presents no danger to the United States. The NRC is involved in the Japan emergency both at home and in Japan.
Q. What are you doing to assess the risk?
A. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is monitoring the situation closely in conjunction with many state and federal partners. The department will continue to follow the effects of the damaged nuclear power plants as long as there are potential concerns. The department will share verified information through its website and Facebook pages as it becomes available.
Q. Does Colorado have a plan in place to respond to a radiological emergency?
A. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment works closely with the Colorado Division of Emergency Management and other state agencies in all emergencies.
Q. Should I be taking potassium iodide (KI) to protect myself?
A. No. Potassium iodide (KI) tablets are not recommended at this time, and can present a danger to people with allergies to iodine, shellfish or who have thyroid problems. Dosages can vary and should only be taken as advised by a medical professional. Potassium iodide, or KI, may have side effects. The possible side effects are related to the dose that you take and your health condition. Using potassium iodide when it is unnecessary could cause intestinal upset (vomiting, nausea and diarrhea), rashes, allergic reactions, soreness of teeth and gums, and inflammation of the salivary glands. Pregnant women and the developing fetus are particularly sensitive to the health risks of taking potassium iodide because all forms of iodine cross the placenta. For example, newborn infants (less than 1 month old) who receive unnecessary doses of potassium iodide are at particular risk for developing a condition known as hypothyroidism (thyroid hormone levels that are too low). If not treated, hypothyroidism can cause brain damage. Adults older than 40 years have a greater chance of having allergic reactions to potassium iodide. Colorado has no nuclear power plants. If it ever would become necessary for Coloradans to take potassium iodide, the federal government’s Strategic National Stockpile keeps supplies of KI and can deliver emergency equipment and supplies within 12 hours. Potassium iodide may be distributed in other states that have nuclear power plants.
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unless they truly don’t know much about radiation and nuclear facilities.
The situation in Japan is a disaster, and if the US NRC is to be believed, it’s much worse than the Japanese government has been saying up to now. The radioactive materials from the disaster will ultimately be carried by high-level winds worldwide, just as has happened in previous nuclear accidents. I am absolutely a layperson but have educated myself to some degree over the years – I’m not an alarmist and I’m not an industry shill. I doubt there would be measurable harm to human health in Colorado as a result. The folks near the Fukushima plant, however, are definitely in danger.
It is very interesting to me that the NRC has taken very public steps to raise the alarm for people to move at least 50 miles away from the Fukushima plant (not the 12 miles the Japanese government has said). Regulators sometimes have a tendency to minimize and deny, just as the industry does. Nice to see the NRC take a different path, at least for now.
Um, that’s probably 99% of the population…
I don’t think there is any widespread panic, but there has been a run on KI pills and emergency supplies nationwide; Colorado included.
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He of the “dirty bomb” scare.
He was going to take a radiation source used for X-Rays and poison all of NYC ?
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who was collecting old smoke alarms to make a dirty bomb out of the specks of Americium 241 that are in there.
nuclear fallout from Japanese plant would have to make it into the troposphere (23,000 to 50,000 feet above sea level) to be picked up in jet stream. Fukushima doesn’t have potential for that type of explosion. Come on now and get your facts straight. The most damaging fallout is particulate matter and that will disperse and settle within a few hundred km from plant site. There’s almost 9,000 kms between Tokyo & Los Angeles, so don’t think particulate matter is gonna happen.
I’m no nuclear apologist. I’ve got 2 toddler boys and I’ll do anything & everything to keep them safe. But I will not go Chicken Little on this.
Just the facts. Here’s an example of the work that’s been done re: dispersion from the Chernobyl event http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pu…
The material can and does go worldwide, in minute but detectable amounts.
Just the facts.
You and Alex Jones.
I have several friends who work for CDPHE. They are well qualified, work hard, and really know their shit. If they say they are fielding lots of questions from the public, I believe them.
but it may be time to begin wearing a broad brimmed hat
The husband of a friend of mine has been pounding on the panic button via Facebook since Sunday night. One of the sources he cited is the Alex Jones site Ralphie linked to. His wife confirmed that yes, he did go out and buy iodine tablets. I resisted the temptation to post a snarky response about glowing in the dark on his FB page. Fortunately, some of his other friends followed their hearts and teased him mercilously. This is actually one of several of his doomsday-of-some-sort rants. The others are more about the economy.
This reminds me of the millennium fears. Another friend of mine’s husband, who used to work for IBM, was in a complete panic that the earth would surely stop revolving on its axis when all the computers in the world started to crackle and smoke at the stroke of midnight. He stockpiled canned goods. Literally. I displayed incredible self-restraint when he would launch into one of his e-doomsday tirades.
still has about a dozen cans of random vegetables in a garage cabinet from Y2K. I’m tempted to pop one open next time I’m home to see what glories flow forth. 😛
I think because I grew up poor I “need” to have a well stocked pantry. I have a several month supply of canned and frozen goods that I keep stocked with stuff as it is priced right.
Earthquakes, tsunamis, unrest in the Middle East … it all adds up.
that the official news from Japan may be biased toward not alarming people because of a cultural sensitivity to being “dishonored”. He feels political officials do not want to “fess up” to not being in control of the situation. I have never been to Japan, so I do not know if his opinion is shared by others.
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Before going to Korea with the Army, I was warned that Korean subordinates would be very reluctant to admit that they couldn’t do something, or hadn’t done something.
“Kung-Fu Tse” is Korean for “Confucius.”
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“a cultural sensistivity to being ‘dishoronered'” to deluding yourself into believing that your audience is so ignorant that they will swallow your BS because you’re so fucking stupid that you think your audience is always even more ill-informed about everything than the fucking eejit* that you are.
Alleging that Bush and Brownie were sensitive to dishonor gives these two clowns far too much credit IMHO.
(*Anyone giving points for being the first to use Pols word of the day in a post?)