U.S. Navy aircraft carrier detects radiation, The USS George Washington was docked for maintenance

[sce56]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- U.S. Navy personnel are taking precautionary measures after instruments aboard an aircraft carrier docked in Japan detected low levels of radioactivity from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the Navy said Tuesday. The USS George Washington was docked for maintenance in Yokosuka, about 175 miles (280 kilometers) from the plant, when instruments detected the radiation at 7 a.m. Tuesday (6 p.m. ET Monday), the Navy said in a statement. Personnel will limit outdoor activities and secure external ventilation systems there and at a nearby air facility in Atsugi.

"These measures are strictly precautionary in nature. We do not expect that any United States federal radiation exposure limits will be exceeded even if no precautionary measures are taken," the Navy said. Workers are scrambling to cool down fuel rods and prevent a full meltdown in three reactors at the earthquake-hit Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan warned Tuesday that the risk of further releases of radioactive material from the plant remains "very high." Radioactive steam has been released intentionally to lessen growing pressure in the reactors. But radiation levels at the plant increased Tuesday to "levels that can impact human health," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/15/japan.us.navy.radiation/index.html?hpt=T1

[itsrobert]

1. "distance"

about 175 miles (280 kilometers) from the plant,

[ElsewheresDaughter]

4. Isn't Tokyo closer then 150km from Fufushima? Won't people flee Tokyo?

[boppers]

6. Well, we live on this thing called a "planet".

Anything that happens somewhere has an effect everywhere.

[nalnn]

13. Some are fleeing Tokyo

Japan braces for potential radiation catastrophe

[IrishBuckeye]

14. I read wind currents should carry the radiation out towards sea

Rather than toward Tokyo.

[IrishBuckeye]

15. Correction: Radiation plume could reach Tokyo

Damn...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/15/us-japan-nuclear-plume-idUSTRE72E5WX20110315

[Sherman A1]

2. I have been wondering about the GW

as it is forward based in Japan. Wondering why it was not assisting with the relief effort, providing water from it's onboard purification plant and if it is actually seaworthy at this point. This is the first mention of it I have heard at all.

[Posteritatis]

5. Uh? It's been in the news since the day of the quake. (nt)

[itsrobert]

8. I think that was a different ship

?

[LiberalEsto]

9. The USS Ronald Reagan

17 crew members exposed to radiation

[Sherman A1]

16. Uh, no it hasn't

The RR was deployed from it's WestPac Cruise, but the GW has been noticeably absent from reports.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

12. I thought, "Isn't the USS George Washington a submarine?"

My brother had the cutaway model way back in the early 1960s. Well, there used to be a USS George Washington that was a submarine. Not anymore.

USS George Washington (SSBN-598)

One can link to the current USS George Washington from that page.

And the model: Renwal 1/200 USS George Washington

[nalnn]

17. Both apparently

USS George Washington (CVN-73)


edit: Oh, and the sub was decommissioned on 24 January 1985.

[aikanae]

3. No man-made radiation level is "safe"

I don't know where they are coming up with what's safe.

[boppers]

7. The radiation on this planet isn't only man-made.

It was here long before us.

At this rate, it'll be here long after us....

Considering that every human, every animal, every thing, is radioactive.

Atoms decay. Simple fact.

[CLANG]

10. Whew! I bet that makes the Japanese feel so much better!

[daleo]

11. Most atoms don't decay

On any timescale relevant to humanity. Comparing a man-made nuclear disaster to background radiation normally experienced at the surface of the earth is a non sequitur.

[sce56]

18. Fukushima-shima, meaning "good-fortune island"

Is that going to be an oxymoron?