No increase in radiation levels in Southern California air

Environmental officials say radiation in Southern California's air remains below levels of concern.

The Environmental Protection Agency has been providing daily updates on its website. On Saturday morning, the EPA reported that its nationwide radiation monitoring system, RadNet, which continuously monitors the nation's air, drinking water, milk and precipitation for environmental radiation, showed typical fluctuations in background radiation levels.

On Friday, the Associated Press, quoting an unnamed diplomat in Vienna, reported that radioactive fallout from Japan's damaged nuclear reactors had reached Southern California but that readings were far below levels that could pose a health hazard.

As of 5 p.m. Friday, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the smog control agency for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, said there was no increase in radiation levels. On Saturday morning, AQMD spokeswoman Tina Cherry said radiation levels had not changed. "There's no increase of risk detected through the monitor," Cherry said.

The agency has detectors in Anaheim, Fontana and Riverside monitoring airborne radiation; the California Department of Public Health operates a fourth detector in the downtown Los Angeles area.

The four detectors are part of the EPA's radiation-detection network, which operates 24 hours a day. The system was developed in the 1950s during the Cold War.

-- Ruben Vives

Comments

[Robert Skillstad]

I'd like to see an independent monitoring of radioactive levels, because the last thing you ever trust lately is a government agency. Has anyone gone around with a Gieger counter randomly to test?

[James Flynt]

It would be nice to know when or if the government will disclose what kind of radioactive isotopes are making the 5000 mile journey. Obviously they will be heavily dispersed by the time they arrive on the west coast but each isotope has a different half life as well as impact on human and pet health. It would be much appreciated if government agencies disclosed more information then "levels that are not harmful for humans". Yet another campaign of misinformation. These sort of events are exactly what creates mistrust of our own government.

[The Rad Rider]

Please find out where the waste water from the
reactor drenching is being stored. I strongly
suspect that proper holding vessels are not
being employed and that contaminated waste
water is returning to the ocean.

[mike peters]

Oh, because Tina Cherry said there's no increase in radiation we're supposed to believe her? Who's she? Some stooge? Is that even her real name? They've detected radiation in Sacramento, so obviously it's here. Radiation travels in clumps, they may have missed it, they don't know how to use the monitors properly or they're lying. In the meantime in Japan they've found radioactive milk and spinach as far away as 90 miles from Fukushima.

[LAladybug]

If there is no increase and no harm, why are they not posting actual numbers so we can see for ourselves?

[Concerned]

My independant testing using mRem/hr. does show an increase, who do we believe what levels are safe?

[Concerned]

Since 1200 hrs Thursday from Pasadena Ca. I show .040 mRem/hr. This is 2-3 times the my normal base rate, however i'm told this is still safe.

[bill lopez]

The loons are always out here in Los Angeles - yes, all you mental giants, you're so much smarter than everyone else - you all know the truth - you've discovered whats been going on here. Everyone is keeping the REAL truth from you. Its all a big cover up.

[larry]

Are all the paranoids reading this story?

[James Garriger]

Oh Billy... We haven't been able to figure out anything because of lack of proper data. Your statement makes me think you are against public funding of higher education. And more than likely voted for someone who is cutting spending in our education system.

[American West]

Dear Concerned... thank you for giving us your independent reading. I understand that Obama and his family have left American soil and gone to South America. This gives me alot of confidence in our government.
Please let us know ongoing if you will what your readings are.
Thank you and God bless, AW

[Hilda]

I have decided to join as many anti nuclear groups as possible.

[Marco]

Contrary to government propaganda distributed by the mainstream media, there is no safe dose of radiation. Dr. Chris Busby, Scientific Secretary of the European Committee on Radiation Risk, states that the leaked radiation from Fukushima will have a negative health impact on the people of Japan and the United States. After days of delay, “Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency admitted that the disaster was a level 5, which is classified as a crisis causing ‘several radiation deaths’ by the UN International Atomic Energy.” As Paul Joseph Watson writes, governments have a history of deceiving the public in times of crises:

The same people telling us that the levels are miniscule and the radiation ‘harmless,’ are from the same organizations who assured us that the Chernobyl disaster only killed 9,000 people, when in reality it exposed 550 million Europeans, and 150 to 230 million others in the Northern Hemisphere to notable contamination and led to nearly a million deaths.

[Rob]

Is it "below levels of concern" or "levels had not changed"? They can't even get their story straight. The fact is that there were two Beta particle spikes on 3/16 and 3/18. Source: EPA's RadNet, Anaheim and Riverside monitors. Fontana and L.A. monitors are offline. So, they've lied again. Oh, what a shocker...just like officials in Japan.

[tommy]

lets get some up to date info.