Michael Collins Radiation Update (21 October 2013): One hour special that covers much of the radiation challenges facing us today regarding Fukushima, nuclear power safety and the never-resting nonsense spewed by pro-nukers in the media such as the New York Times.
The series listeners have been waiting for, Black Swan SONGS, is finally out describing in five pieces and 23,000 words the threats facing the spent fuel at the San Onofre and Peach Bottom nuclear generating stations. Discussion moves to story of an experienced yachtsman making the Pacific Ocean trek first from Australia to Japan and then onto North America. Sea life is near non-existent for thousands of miles save for a huge whale floating on top of the water with a massive head tumor. “The Ocean is Broken” may be a ‘fish story’ but if it isn’t, the tale it tells is hopelessly heartbreaking. Jeff and Michael discuss next typhoon bearing down on Fukushima and the massive spikes in radiation readings that previous storms over the stricken plant have left in their wakes. Even with persistent poisonous radionuclides recently found in British sediment bordering the Irish sea, the UK government announces the construction of two new nuclear reactors on its southern coast. Michael points out that the British taxpayer will be on the hook for billions in this outrageous government giveaway. US Pacific Coast seaweed is again found contaminated with Fuku goo in the form of cesium-134, cesium-137 and cobalt-60 which suggests ongoing fission at the Japanese site of the triple meltdowns. Sad state of the media in which New York Times dismisses Fukushima radiation and lauds new EPA rules that radically raise amounts of allowable radiation in emergencies, a dangerous plan first exposed months ago in EnviroReporter.com with EPA Nukes Radiation Rules. Happy, though small, state of citizen awareness as 500 people gather on San Francisco beach forming a human chain reading “FUKUSHIMA IS HERE.” Michael discusses $60 billion US government is planning to spend ‘modernize’ its nuclear weapons complex suggesting money would be better spent tracking and addressing Fuku goo. US EPA says “To this day, the [RadNet] system continues to confirm that there are no harmful levels of radiation in the air reaching the U.S. from Japan,” an EPA spokesperson said in the last week when EnviroReporter.com‘s own US EPA RadNet graphs data shows upward spikes in beta radiation in Phoenix AZ, Anaheim, Fresno & Los Angeles CA, Albuquerque NM, Corvalis OR, Amarillo TX and Charleston WV. One of the best shows in over 2.5 years of bringing radiation information to a growing international audience.
Michael Collins Radiation Update (14 October 2013): Thousands mass for anti-nuclear rally in Tokyo 13 October, which earns high marks from Jeff and Michael. Fukushima deteriorating at a breakneck pace with highest level of Cs-134/137 detected in seawater of Fukushima plant port entrance since triple meltdowns began 11 March 2011. Collapsed groundwater bypass plan results in tritium detected in all of the eight groundwater samples. In this analysis, the highest reading was 730,000 Bq/m3. Tritium will not be filtered out to discharge to the Pacific because nothing can filter out “heavy water.” 120 Bq/Kg from two bags of rice in Minamisoma Fukushima which is way too much for Japanese plates but, according to U.S. standards, consumable in this country so grower will ship all but these two bags. Japanese Gov’t Officials: “All of Japan” at risk of food and water having serious contamination from Fukushima, now and into future — Land is contaminated out to 250 kilometers from plant. Top Japan nuclear officials: Fukushima is an unprecedented disaster — “It’s probably the worst nuclear accident to ever happen in the world.”
And, of course, Jeff and Michael talk about the first two pieces of EnviroReporter.com‘s Black Swan SONGS series which will continue through week with amazing revelations from this four-month investigation which led to this blockbuster expose beyond the capabilities of mainstream and alternative legacy media. Michael assures faithful listeners that the best is yet to come.
Michael Collins Radiation Update (07 October 2013): Taut and terrific show hitting a ton of topics. In Vancouver, starfish bodies turning to goo as Canadian study warns of radiation in Pacific seafood over two years after EnviroReporter.com‘s revelations showing same. Removal of nuclear fuel rods from Unit 4’s teetoring reactor almost impossible. We talk of Team EnviroReporter’s upcoming trip to Japan equipped with all the necessary tools to test for Fuku goo.
One of the trip highlights will be a visit to the architectural wonder that is the Hiroshima municipal incinerator. T.E. won’t be there for the stylish complex but to see through detecting whether the wholesale incineration of over a million tons of irradiated ruble from the Fukushima prefecture taking place the width and breadth of Japan, an incredibly foolish process that doesn’t get rid of the radiation. Much of the ash from the Fuku goo burning is dumped into Tokyo Bay where the 2020 Tokyo Radiation Olympics will hold multiple events. Jeff and Michael discussed radioactive silver detected in seafood caught off Japan. The Ag-110m exceeded the readings of radioactive cesium in squid, octopus and crab caught off Fukushima prefecture, implied that fission and criticalities are still going on at the Fukushima site which is a horrific state of affairs. Near a drain to the Pacific, 13 million becquerels per cubic meter of total beta emitters were just detected out of Fukushima Dai-ichi’s south discharge. A day before, it was disclosed that 200,000,000 Bq/m3 was leaking for 12 hours at the stricken site because a TEPCO patrol didn’t notice it as it was raining. Michael teased an upcoming four month investigation by saying what it wasn’t: ProPublica just tooted its own horn bragging about the $750,000 they it spent over two years investigating how acetominophen can be bad for you. EnviroReporter.com spent less than $7.50 to read the label on a bottle of the stuff to see that there are warnings saying just that already on the bottle. Our point was what we have coming is considerably more weighty and cost far less. News also broke in the last week that the Japanese fast food chain Yoshinoya would start sourcing food for the chain from close to Fukushima. Michael reveals he asked the American subsidiary of the firm, with restaurants in Southern California and other U.S. locations, if they got their food from Japan. The company did not reply.
Michael Collins Radiation Update (30 September 2013): Historic show starting minutes into the U.S. federal government shutdown. Michael thanked over 800,000 fed workers for their service and expressed sympathy for their unearned plight. Also gave thanks that the EPA’s RadNet hadn’t gone dark which is good because this crucial information is brought to the public in an accessible way by EnviroReporter.com on our U.S. EPA RadNet Data page.
Discussion of the FDA’s new *voluntary* ban on a huge list of food products from 15 Japanese prefectures. Michael noted that Japanese food has radiation limits in their food 12 times more strict than the U.S. standards meaning that their hot food can be shipped to us legally with no one the wiser. Hence the importance of our Radiation Food Lab, the most comprehensive data on food, water and other ingestibles anywhere in the world. RFB honcho and Team EnviroReporter stalwart Peter Dailey’s new detections of Radium-220 spell real trouble. From his report we discussed: “The rain swab collected at Caloundra was tested and found to contain both the decay daughters of both Radon-222, and Radon-220. It is common to get Radon-222 washouts, not Radon-220. Radon-222 is from the Uranium decay chain, and Radon-220 is from the Thorium decay chain. This theory has been put forward by a contact in New Zealand. The Radon-220 decay daughter isotope detection here, is an indication that one or more of the underground coriums at Fukushima undergoing fast neutron fission. One or more coriums are possibly purifying, and operating in a mode of unmoderated fission. This would increase the yields of Thorium daughters.” Russia has also banned food from 7 Japanese prefectures and China along with South Korea have restrictions too. Before Michael wrapped up the show, he again reminded his devoted listeners that true character is what a person does when he or she knows that doom looms. He also talked about the radiation levels in Montogomery AL, Tuscon AZ, Los Angeles CA, Denver CO, Washington DC, Tallahassee FL, Fort Wayne IN, Corvallis OR, Toledo OH, Amarillo TX and Harrisonburg VA.
Michael Collins Radiation Update: The grim predictions we made in January 2012’s Beta Watch are sadly coming true as we discuss in a supercharged show. A report came out entitled “Numerical study and prediction of nuclear contaminant transport from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in the North Pacific Ocean.” Appearing in the scientific journal Oceanology, the report was the work of the Key Laboratory of Research on Marine Hazards Forecasting, National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center in China. The Chinese government did something the United States would not do: take a hard look at what Fukushima’s spewing triple meltdowns are doing to the Pacific.
“[H]igh concentrations of the radioactive isotope cesium-137 (137Cs) will move eastward and reach the central Pacific and west coast of North America in two and eight years, respectively.” The map predictions of ocean surface cesium-137 concentrations are astonishing. Since the report, the situation has only gotten worse at Fukushima with continued fallout both literally and figuratively. Jeff and Michael discussed the latter watching the March 11, 2011 tsunami live late at night Los Angeles time with Denise Anne. As the waves rolled in obliterating everything in their path, we realized they could also take out a coastal nuclear power plant. Only the next day did we find out what had happened. Discussion turned philosophical as Michael maintained that in the face of such threats, with no help from the government for its people or Japan, being courageous is easier than being a coward. Hot spots across the U.S. highlighted were Bakersfield CA, Fresno CA, Denver CO, Tallahassee FL, Fort Wayne IN, St. Paul MN, Lincoln NE, Toledo OH, and Amarillo TX. Michael criticized the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s light “green” and “white” violation at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station as puzzling in light of what caused them: a huge number of leaking pipes that forced Units 2 and 3 to be shut down and now decommissioned. Discounting the potential dangers of firing up one of these units, as Southern California Edison did, shows the lax attitude of the NRC which is not enhancing the safety of the site or others it regulates.
Michael Collins Radiation Update – Fast half hour on last day of public’s ability to submit comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to gut radiation standards not just for emergencies like terrorist ‘dirty bomb’ attack or nuclear power plant meltdown but also to extremely contaminated places like the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. Discussion explored EnviroReporter.com‘s revelations in the expose EPA Nukes Radiation Rules* showing the extent of these dangerous redefining of what’s hot and what’s not. Michael told audience not to worry if they hadn’t submitted their comments if they had concerns raised by the expose because he had submitted the article as a public comment. He was not alone. Earlier in the day before this podcast, over 100 environmental organizations today called on EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to withdraw EPA’s controversial new Protective Action Guides (PAGs), which would allow exposure to very high doses from radiation releases before government would take action to protect the public. The full letter is at http://committeetobridgethegap.org/GroupPAGltr9-16-13.pdf and details many of the radical changes the gutted PAGs would bring. With Fukushima worsening with the entire complex sinking into its own groundwater-saturated sand, the consequences of EPA-rigged and relaxed radiation levels adds to the significance of the ongoing disaster. Michael told of weekend birthday trip to the Central Coast of California that included visiting a fisherman and his wife, Will and Robin, at their beautiful Santa Barbara home to test an assortment of fish and sea creatures for radiation. Will, a listener to the show, offered Denise Anne and I, an excellent opportunity to test yellowtail, bluefin tuna, rockfish, bluefin tuna “collar,” mussels, squid, albacore tuna, yellowtail collar: All measured at background which is probably a function of the fact that the Sea of Fuku Goo hasn’t made it down to Southern California yet. Jeff and Michael thanked Will for being such a stand-up American who courageously contacted Michael to have his fish tested. The results, while hopeful for the time being, do not change EnviroReporter.com‘s admonition not to eat or consume anything from the Pacific unless you can verify yourself it is radiation-free. That includes seaweed and its derivative carrageenan which is widely used in the food industry and toothpaste for its gelling, thickening and stabilizing properties.
Michael Collins Radiation Update: A special one-hour classic show that wasn’t even long enough for the breadth of disaster discussed. Of course Michael’s Tokyo’s Radiation Olympics and Yoichi Shimatsu’s Boycott The Radioactive 2020 Olympics Of Death were the top topics since their double-barrel debut in response to the outrage that greeted Tokyo Japan’s being awarded by the controversial and corruption-riven doyens of the International Olympic Committee in Buenos Aires Argentina September 7. The gold medal performance of Prime Minister Abe convincing the creaky IOC board that all was AOK at Fukushima was easily dissembled by Michael as he pointed out that TEPCO actually pleaded with the Japanese government to take control of the disaster in the week before Dishonest Abe’s blizzard of hogwash won the day. The fact that Fukushima Dai-ichi’s Unit 4, with its full spent fuel pool tottering four stories above the ground, has recently sunk over 30 inches into the soup that the ground is turning into was pointed out by Jeff. The hyper-hot groundwater is within four inches of the surface and the entire site is about to sink into the slush. Once Unit 4 collapses before the spent fuel is removed – an impossible task as the rods are busted and not removable even with TEPCO’s weak assurances – Tokyo is toast as EnviroReporter reported in The Unforgettable Fire in June 2012. Michael gave numerous examples of Tokyo contamination as reported in Rad News Digest just since the beginning of the year: June 17 – 300 Bq/Kg in the park of Konanku Yokohama city” (Tokyo – 178 miles south of Fukushima, Yokohama – 204 miles south of Fukusima); June 16 – 19,000 Bq/Kg from the drain of balcony in Setagaya Tokyo; June 8 – 102.5 Bq/Kg of Cs-134/137 from Sayama (suburb of Tokyo) green tea leaves for sale; May 28 – Cs-134/137 from pool bottom sediment of 9 of 9 elementary school in Chiba,(20 miles NE of Tokyo) max as 796 Bq/Kg and on and on. Jeff talked about a letter sent to him from South Korean flight attendants about the hazards of flying through the air over Fukushima. Michael reminded the audience, which has grown significantly and shows its appreciation more and more, that EnviroReporter.com‘s US EPA RadNet compilation shows high beta radiation, almost certainly from Fukushima or local reactor releases, in the American cities of Montgomery AL, Phoenix AZ, Fort Smith AR, Bakersfield CA, Tallahassee FL, Augusta GA, Fort Wayne IN and other locales including St. Louis MO which had a September 8 rain 108 times background. Jeff and Michael discuss how the California Highway Patrol considers anything over three times background a HAZMAT situation. This hot show again demonstrates that people know where to go to get the real skinny on the radically rad world we’re living where those with true courage to face the consequences are few and far between but always are on the Michael Collins Radiation Update.
Michael Collins Radiation Update August 26, 2013: Fast and furious show as Fukushima triple meltdowns’ “Lost Coriums” sink deeper into the ground, they are impacting the groundwater which is directly leaking into Pacific with astonishing radiation readings. Japan asks for international help for first time publicly as situation out of control. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and 3 scientists from the GEOMAR Research Center for Marine Geosciences showed that radiation on the West Coast of North America could end up being 10 times higher than in Japan by 2016. Michael postulates that this is true for the radiation leaking now but in three years, he predicts the radiation gushing out of Fukushima will even dwarf today’s unbelievable numbers with the result that after 2019, the cesium-134 and cesium-137 off the West Coast will make even 2016’s numbers seem enviable. Jeff figures his 400 tons of radioactive goo sloshing into the Pacific is low. Intense and deep discussion of how this is ruining the Pacific and all the unfortunate flora and fauna in it. “Fracked Nation,” Michael’s new article is discussed showing how EnviroReporter.com has found that a little known new threat posed by fracking is slowly becoming known in addition to the already established menaces of groundwater contamination, huge water usage, methane gas releases and fracking induced earthquakes. Fracking also threatens the very value and marketability of real estate, so much so that major insurance companies are not renewing homeowner insurance policies on properties that have been fracked or are near fracking. Lenders will not loan money on property that has potential for hazardous activity and contamination issues meaning that the land owner is truly fracked. The land becomes uninsurable and unsellable making it worthless. Once that happens, these same oil and gas companies, as well as the insurers and lenders, will be able to scoop up huge swaths of land for pennies on the dollar. This is news that homeowners over frackable oil and gas better pay attention to. We certainly will and won’t let up covering the story.
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