Massive Tsunami Debris Field Only 800 Miles Off The Coast Of Washington State

[Generic Other]

Anchor: [...] The worst is yet to come. Experts say northwest waters could be jammed with tsunami debris as soon as next month. 500,000 tons of it.

Curtis Ebbesmeyer, Retired Oceanographer. “It’s going to be a terrible thing if it does start coming ashore… Just so enormous that we just… it’s going to take everybody.”

Anchor: He says the debris is now 800 miles off our shores.

He’s hearing from fishermen who’s had school buses and houses tear up nets.

[...] State relying on volunteers to pick up what they can.

[a geek named Bob]

1. Okay...

This could be bad...

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. "State relying on volunteers to pick up what they can." WTF??????

All that crap ends up on the beaches and volunteers are the only resource???
What about radioactivity? Is that an issue?

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. The only source link is GOP (Fox) news?

[Generic Other]

4. It's the local fox news station

Sorry.

[countryjake]

6. Here is another recent, more informative article...

on this looming ecological disaster, (from the Daily Beast, tho not much better as a source):

As Japan’s Tsunami Debris Arrives, Can U.S. West Coast Handle It?

Sep 7, 2012

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/09/07/as-japan-s-tsunami-debris-arrives-can-u-s-west-coast-handle-it.html



Here is an official page from our dept. of Ecology:

Tsunami / Marine debris on Washington beaches

http://marinedebris.wa.gov/



And here is a story from earlier this summer, in which Gov. Gregoire makes clear that more Federal help will be needed:

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Feds-providing-250K-for-tsunami-debris-removal-162669846.html

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. thank for those links.

I am a native of Wash. and have family and friends there.
I agree that the amount of money (50,000) is VERY "woefully inadequate."

Is there much concern among folks about radiation contamination???

[countryjake]

8. Can you believe it...$250,000 divided between five states?

I'd guess that is the reason why clean-up is going to be a mostly "volunteer" effort, but like that fellow said in the first video from the OP, it will take everyone, (and I'd also guess that, assuming it's going to be as bad as predicted, those volunteers will soon be overwhelmed by the task). We have family out on the coast, too, and we're planning more trips over to help, once the debris begins to really pour in, this Fall and Winter.

So far, we've been reassured by the authorities that no dangerous levels of radiation have been detected on the debris itself, since the Fukushima disaster occurred after the Tsunami, but that doesn't keep those living at the beach from worrying about it. The filthy crap that has already washed up, stinky, chemical-laden, unidentifiable flotsam, certainly has raised the concerns of many. Also, the threat of invasive species has been brought up by our Sen. Cantwell...she's been very involved in this whole mess and testified back in May at a Senate Sub-Committee hearing about Tsunami-related debris hitting U.S. coastlines, along with Alaskan Sen. Mark Begich.

The radiation that I'm worried about isn't in the debris field, it's the ocean-water itself, our salmon, our seafood, which may end up bearing the brunt of this whole thing. Supposedly, researchers are busy testing fish for dangerous levels and have deemed them okay, but some (15) Blue-fin Tuna which were caught off the Cal. coast earlier this year had surprisingly higher radiation levels than usual, something that the scientists did not think was possible, due to their size and range. I will always take it with a grain of salt when any of them report that levels are higher, but "not too high" to be dangerous.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. My grain of salt was set when EPA claimed air in NYC after 9-11 was "safe"

all the while they knew that Silverstein (owner of the Twin Towers) was trying to avoid expense of abestos removable in those buildings.
Now hundreds, if not thousands, of first responders have serious health problems.

TEPCO was found out to have prevented nuke workers from using dose meters. Apparently few workers had the sense to walk away after knowing that.

Many grains of salt are necessary in today's world.
Which is why I chose my sig line....

[Robb]

5. Hell. Know what else is 800 miles from the WA coastline?

Montana!

If that washes up, y'all are in a REAL pickle.