Thread: WHY IS'NT MSM REPORTING ON THE escalating DANGERS of Radiation, UPDATED

Canadian Gov’t: “There’s going to be radiation from Fukushima for years to come… Testing will never stop” — US Gov’t: There’s no reason to believe radioactive plume coming to West Coast

Published: February 21st, 2014 at 2:42 pm ET By ENENews

Coast Reporter (B.C., Canada), John Gleeson, Feb. 21, 2014 (emphasis added): [Sean Upton, a senior media relations officer] said Health Canada scientists tested 28 fish samples provided last year by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and no radiation from Fukushima was detected [...] While the testing was not part of a formal research study, and was described by Health Canada as an ad hoc technical exercise, Upton said it was also linked to research on the transport of Fukushima radiation to B.C. coastal waters, first measured by DFO at “barely detectable” levels in June 2013. [...] Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs joined other First Nation leaders in calling for Ottawa to start conducting regular testing of domestic Pacific seafood. [...] While regular testing is not being contemplated at this time, that will change if circumstances warrant it, [Upton] said.
Sean Upton, Health Canada media relations: “[Testing was done] partly because there was a hypothesis that radiation from Fukushima was making its way to the West Coast and West Coast fish [...] What we’ve seen so far presents no health risk [...] If increased radiation is found in the waters in 2014 or 2015, then more testing would be done, as needed. We know there’s going to be radiation from Fukushima for years to come. The testing will never stop.”
Santa Cruz ‘Good Times’, Feb. 20, 2014: Q: Is there a new wave of radioactive materials moving toward the West Coast from Japan this year? A: In recent months, some news outlets have published information suggesting that a second “plume” of radioactivity is making its way across the Pacific Ocean and could be arriving along the Canadian and California coastline this year. Bill Keener, [public affairs official for the EPA's San Francisco region], says there is no reason to believe a second plume is coming. “The event in March of 2011 released the accumulated gases in the reactors, which sent a bubble of radiation through the water and air,” he says. “No such accumulation should be occurring today.”

http://enenews.com/canadian-govt-the...e-is-coming-to

Nuclear Expert: “They must be terrified” at South Florida nuke plant; “The damn thing is grinding down” — Gundersen: “Magnitude of what’s going on at St. Lucie is off the charts”; 100 times worse than average

Published: February 22nd, 2014 at 10:45 pm ET By ENENews

Tampa Bay Times, Feb. 22, 2014:Yet another Florida nuclear plant may be in trouble. [...] More than 3,700 tubes that help cool a nuclear reactor at Florida Power & Light’s St. Lucie facility exhibit wear. Most other similar plants have between zero and a few hundred. Worst case: A tube bursts and spews radioactive fluid. That’s what happened at the San Onofre plant in California two years ago. The plant shut down forever because it would have cost too much to fix. [...] FPL is so confident in St. Lucie’s condition that it boosted the plant’s power. The utility acknowledged that will aggravate wear on the tubes, located inside steam generators. [...] FPL insisted St. Lucie should not be linked to San Onofre from either a safety or financial standpoint.[...] During hearings, [officials at San Onofre] repeatedly pointed to St. Lucie as having the same problem […] When it closed, San Onofre 3 had 2,519 wear spots at least 20 percent deep into a tube wall. When last inspected in 2012, the St. Lucie plant had 1,920, the Times analysis found.

Michael Waldron, FPL spokesman: “From an engineering perspective [...] you can neither make a comparison [between the San Onofre and St. Lucie plants], nor can you assume an outcome because the two systems are so different.”
Southern California Edison, owner of now-closed San Onofre nuclear plant between San Diego and Los Angeles: “[St. Lucie is] the next closest plant with a high number of wear indications. [...] Although a different (steam generator) design, the (antivibration bars) serve the same design function [...] So St. Lucie was used to determine similarities and potential actions.”
Arnie Gundersen, nuclear engineer: “I think the comparison [with San Onofre] is dead on [...] All of the failure modes except for (tubes hitting each other) are identical. When the same problem popped at the two San Onofre plants, it suddenly became a cluster. [...] St. Lucie is the outlier of all the active plants [...] the magnitude of what is going on at St. Lucie is off the charts. These guys are a hundred times worse than the industry average.”
Daniel Hirsch, University of California at Santa Cruz nuclear policy lecturer: “The damn thing is grinding down [...] They must be terrified internally. They’ve got steam generators that are now just falling apart. [The tubes] need to be very strong to prevent a meltdown [...] Steam generators are really critical to safety. It’s not a feature you want to play with.”

http://enenews.com/nuclear-expert-th...s-off-the-char

Tokyo Press Conference: “Deliberate cover-up” of public’s exposure to Fukushima radiation and the health problems they are suffering from… This is now Japan’s biggest problem — “Continual, purposeful concealment of facts” — “Media will not properly report” what’s going on (VIDEO)

Published: February 22nd, 2014 at 4:36 pm ET By ENENews

NPR’s ‘Weekend Edition’, Feb. 15, 2014: The cleanup at the crippled nuclear reactor at Fukushima, Japan has been plagued by problems. Contaminated water has leaked into the ocean, radiation levels are higher than originally announced and the Japanese public is suspicious that [TEPCO] isn’t telling the whole story. >> Listen to the broadcast here
NPR, Feb. 15, 2014: Some critics say that TEPCO can’t be trusted and that the world’s largest nuclear accident is still waiting to happen at Fukushima, such as an accidental nuclear reaction [...] TEPCO dismisses predictions like this as alarmist. Japanese themselves are highly divided on the issue [...] shutting down the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant will go on for a long time. TEPCO predicts it could last 30 or 40 years. Others say that estimate is blindly optimistic.
Asia-Pacific Journal, Mobilizing Nuclear Bias: The Fukushima Nuclear Crisis and the Politics of Uncertainty, Prof. Kyle Cleveland, Feb. 17, 2014: [...] As we look to the early days of the crisis, it is tempting [...] to conclude that after a somewhat hysterical first few weeks, the crisis abated, taking with it these unreasonable claims. However, over time critical media coverage has led to a gradual amplification of risk about nuclear danger that has given credence to claims previously taken as an over-reaction and panic. […] social activism is on the rise, bringing previously disengaged citizens into political movements that were previously the domain of activists, who are now being vindicated by recent events.
Press Conference at Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan, Feb. 21, 2014 — Kenichi Hasegawa, farmer evacuated from Iitate village in Fukushima Prefecture (at 10:15 in): The biggest problem in Japan now is the deliberate cover-up over the levels of radiation that people have been exposed to and the health problems that they have. There is a continual purposeful concealment of facts that the media in Japan will not properly report. So what we need is for foreign countries to put pressure on Japan and hopefully bring the truth to light.
Watch the press conference here

http://enenews.com/tokyo-press-confe...oseful-conceal

Nuclear Professor: Fish on West Coast found with Fukushima radioactive material — We’re testing fish that are sold at markets to U.S. consumers (AUDIO)

Published: February 22nd, 2014 at 9:30 am ET By ENENews

Radio VR – US Edition, Feb. 22, 2014 (at 6:15 in):

See also: More US tuna contaminated -- Study: Entire food web "including humans" may be affected as Fukushima radionuclides spread to West Coast
Full broadcast available here


http://enenews.com/nuclear-professor...onsumers-audio

The thing about eating small amounts of radioactive material.....is that as you eat more and more it builds up to the toxic cancer causing level so the more fish you eat with it in it, the more toxic the build up gets....common sense.

New radioactive water leak at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant

By Yoko Wakatsuki, CNN

updated 7:28 AM EST, Thu February 20, 2014

video at link below




Sailor lawsuit: Radiation caused illness


STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• TEPCO says it discovered highly contaminated water leaking from a tank
• An estimated 100 metric tons flowed over a barrier and onto the ground, it says
• The company says it has shut off the flow of water into the tank and the leak has stopped
• TEPCO has struggled to manage the vast amounts of tainted water at crippled plant

Tokyo (CNN) -- A large amount of radioactive water has leaked from a holding tank at Japan's troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, its operator said Thursday.
The leak of an estimated 100 metric tons of highly contaminated water was discovered late Wednesday, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said in a statement.
The tainted water flowed over a barrier around the tank and is being absorbed into the ground, TEPCO said. The plant has shut off the inflow of water into the tank and the leaking has stopped, it added.
The company doesn't believe that there was any leakage of the radioactive water into the nearby Pacific Ocean.
See inside Japan's damaged nuclear plant
Since the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan in March 2011 set off meltdowns at three of the reactors at the nuclear plant, TEPCO has been storing the enormous volumes of water contaminated at the site in a steadily growing collection of containers.
The company has struggled to manage the vast amounts of radioactive water, with a number of leaks reported last year.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government vowed to step in to deal with the toxic water crisis at the plant that caused concern in Japan and abroad about the scale of the problem faced by TEPCO.
The leak reported Thursday is one of the largest since TEPCO reported last summer that about 300 tons of radioactive water had leaked from a tank.
CNN first learned about the latest incident on Twitter.
READ: Inside Fukushima: Decommissioning Tepco's stricken nuclear reactor
READ: Journey to the heart of Fukushima's crippled nuclear plant
READ: Fukushima's nuclear power mess: Five big questions

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/19/world/...46b8-314931469

TV: Radioactive waste containers may be “smashed and opened” after roof collapse at leaking U.S. nuclear site — Official: We believe there’s been a breach… “It’s a very serious thing” — ‘Seismic event’ mentioned — High levels of alpha and beta radiation detected (VIDEO)

Published: February 21st, 2014 at 11:49 am ET By ENENews

Carlsbad Current Argus, Feb. 20, 2014 (emphasis added): [...] the radiation leak occurred on the evening of Feb. 14, according to new information made public at a news conference Thursday afternoon. […] Joe Franco, manager of the DOE Carlsbad Field Office, said an underground air monitor detected high levels of alpha and beta radiation activity consistent the waste buried at WIPP. “We are assuming and believe that it is from one of our waste (sources) that we have underground […]” he added. […] It could be up to three
or four weeks before workers can go underground to survey the possible source [...]

Reuters, Feb. 20, 2014: Airborne radioisotopes can be harmful if inhaled or swallowed. […] “Even though it’s well below levels established by the EPA to ensure protection of public health, it’s a very serious thing,” [Franco] said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. “WIPP is not intended to be in this kind of condition.” […] “Radiation is simply not supposed to be released outside this facility. It’s not supposed to be released inside the underground. Any type of release is unacceptable and disconcerting,” [Secretary of New Mexico Environment Department Ryan Flynn] said. […] Franco said indications suggest a drum or drums containing radioactive waste may have breached for reasons that are not yet known.

AP, Feb. 20, 2014: [...] could be weeks before workers can safely access the underground dump to determine what happened. […] It was the second incident in just a matter of weeks. Earlier this month, a truck hauling salt below ground caught fire [...] but Franco said it was unlikely the events were related. He also said there was no evidence of a seismic event at the site.
KRQE, Feb. 21, 2014: Federal and state agencies are scrambling to deal with the discovery of airborne radiation [...] one of the working theories right now is that a big slab of the roof broke free, hit the stack, knocked some drums off and smashed and opened one or more of them. [...] that is not supposed to happen in areas being actively worked by crews. It appears the leak occurred in an active work area [...]
Watch the KRQE broadcast here

http://enenews.com/tv-drums-of-radio...s-thing-seismi

8 Must-Know Facts About Fukushima Nuclear Radiation



21st February 2014By Dr. Edward F. Group
Guest Writer for Wake Up World
It’s been nearly three years since the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011 but the after-effects continue.The earthquake and subsequent tsunami killed more than 20,000 men, women and children, devastated areas of northeast Japan, and brought untold horror and misery to many survivors. The core meltdown and release of radioactive material at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant exacerbated the already apocalyptic situation to a major Level 7 Nuclear disaster, which even led Japan’s Prime Minister to fear for the existence of Japan! [1] And the entire time, authorities have downplayed the impact the radiation had on the environment, despite indications that we’re experiencing a catastrophic nuclear event of epic proportions.The events at Fukushima will affect every single one of us, and the next 8 facts will provide you with the information necessary to understand and protect yourself. 1. Radiation is Still Going Strong

The radioactive nightmare at Fukushima isn’t over, it’s still going. The initial release of radioactive material went strong for nearly two weeks and radioactive isotopes of iodine, cesium, xenon, krypton, and tellurium spread throughout the atmosphere, soil, and water. [2] TEPCO, the Japanese power company responsible for the Fukushima reactor, finally acknowledged in July 2013 that 300 tons of contaminated water had leaked into the ocean. As recently as December 2013, radioactive material was still leaking from Fukushima!
Japanese news outlets indicate radioactive cesium has even been detected in deep groundwater near a reactor. [3] Unfortunately, much of the problem has been inflated because of foolishness. Japan’s Asahi news outlet reported that TEPCO cut costs and used nets made of duct-tape and wire to seal containers containing radioactive water. [4] With such incompetency, it’s certain that the continued release of radioactive material — and higher levels of environmental radiation — will be the new normal.2. Radiation Has Spread Across the Globe

This year, 2014, a radioactive plume is expected to reach the Pacific coast of the United States. The World Health Organization claims that the radioactive material is too diluted to be dangerous despite the fact that radioactive material will flow for years to come; peaking in 2016. [5] Hey, great, the US Pacific coast will bath in radioactive material for the next 3+ years! This isn’t the only area affected. During the meltdown, radiation was launched into the atmosphere and settled as far away as Slovenia, France, the Canary Islands, and even in the Arctic. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]3. Radiation Has Contaminated U.S. Food Supplies

Air, water and milk samples collected across the United States after the Fukushima disaster all showed high levels of radioactive iodine, cesium, and tellurium. [12] Folks, when this stuff hits the globe it spreads like glitter thrown into a fan. There is no safe haven!4. Water is Affected and Boiling Doesn’t Help

It was once thought that boiling was an effective means for reducing radiation levels in water; this has been found to be false. Tap water with high concentrations of Iodine-131 was found in areas surrounding the Fukushima Power Plant and boiling it did not remove radioactive iodine. In fact, boiling the water resulted in a concentration of the radioactivity due to some of the water boiling off. [13]5. Survival Tip: Boiling Vegetables Might Reduce Radioactive Contamination

Soil contamination remains a problem in Japan due to the “sprinkling” of radioactive fallout. [14] Recognizing the harm this could cause for food supplies, produce especially, Japanese researchers analyzed and discovered that radioactive material sticks easily to the exterior of vegetables. Leafy vegetables do provide “some” level of relief though as most radioactive material is limited to exterior leaves. Removing them and boiling the inner leaves for 20 minutes has been found to reduce contamination up to 70%. [15] Something to remember when the zombies hit.6. Pacific Marine Life is Severely Affected

Quickly following the disaster, radioactive isotopes were discovered in marine life including migratory species such as Pacific bluefin tuna. [16] [17] In January 2014, it was reported that fishermen had caught fish that had radiation levels 124 times established standards. [18] Even worse, the ongoing release of contaminated water from the Fukushima Power Plant has caused authorities to warn that fish within 100 miles of the coast likely contain elevated levels of radioactive material.7. Algae Might Help Solve the Problem

Perhaps the most difficult component to a nuclear event is cleaning up the mess. Now, a newly discovered strain of algae may help decontamination efforts. Parachlorella binos (also known as “Binos”) has demonstrated much potential as a means to neutralize radioactive nucleotides. [19] Compared to other methods of “clean up” which involve chemicals that are almost as hazardous as the radioactive material itself, using algae is a natural strategy for environmental cleanup.8. Radioactive Iodine Presents the Worst Risk

Immediately following the disaster, Japanese authorities evacuated the area within a 12 mile radius of the power plant due to the outpouring of radioactive material. [20] While a toxic cornucopia of compounds were released, the majority of the concern revolved around exposure to iodine-131 which can cause severe skin damage, thyroid damage, cancer and death. [21] The demand for protective iodine supplements has skyrocketed as a result.Protect Yourself

When the thyroid is loaded with beneficial iodine, it is less apt to absorb harmful, radioactive iodine-131. In my opinion, every home should have a supply of supplemental iodine and a healthy diet of foods that contain iodine. And, although radioactive material has been found all over the globe, some areas are worse than others. Be mindful of where you’re traveling (or living) and most importantly, be mindful of where your food comes from!What measures have you taken? Please leave a comment below and share your tips with us!-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFMEditor’s note: Stay tuned for Dr. Group’s next article on Wake Up World, “13 Natural Remedies For Radiation Exposure”, on Wednesday 26th February.

References:

1. Fitzgerald J, Wollner SB, Adalja AA, Morhard R, Cicero A, Inglesby TV. Biosecur Bioterror. After Fukushima: managing the consequences of a radiological release. Biosecur Bioterror. 2012 Jun;10(2):228-36. doi: 10.1089/bsp.2012.0021. Epub 2012 May 11.
   
2. Thakur P, Ballard S, Nelson R. An overview of Fukushima radionuclides measured in the northern hemisphere. Sci Total Environ. 2013 Aug 1;458-460:577-613. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.03.105. Epub 2013 May 22.
   
3. RT. TEPCO detects record radiation at Fukushima’s reactor 2, new leak suspected. (last accessed 2014-02-13)
   
4. RT. ‘Duct tape, wire nets’ were used to mend Fukushima water tanks – worker. (last accessed 2014-02-13)
   
5. RT. Fukushima’s Radioactive Ocean Plume to Reach US Waters by 2014. (last accessed 2014-02-13)
   
6. Miller CW. The Fukushima radiological emergency and challenges identified for future public health responses. Health Phys. 2012 May;102(5):584-8. doi: 10.1097/HP.0b013e31824d0241.
   
7. Glavi-Cindro D, Benedik L, Kožar Logar J, Vodenik B, Zorko B. Detection of Fukushima plume within regular Slovenian environmental radioactivity surveillance. Appl Radiat Isot. 2013 Nov;81:374-8. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.03.077. Epub 2013 Apr 2.
   
8. López-Pérez M, Ramos-López R, Perestelo NR, Duarte-Rodriguez X, Bustos JJ, Alonso-Pérez S, Cuevas E, Hernández-Armas J. Arrival of radionuclides released by the Fukushima accident to Tenerife (Canary Islands). J Environ Radioact. 2013 Feb;116:180-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2012.09.011. Epub 2012 Nov 17.
   
9. Evrard O, Van Beek P, Gateuille D, Pont V, Lefèvre I, Lansard B, Bonté P. Evidence of the radioactive fallout in France due to the Fukushima nuclear accident. J Environ Radioact. 2012 Dec;114:54-60. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2012.01.024. Epub 2012 Feb 19.
   
10. Paatero J, Vira J, Siitari-Kauppi M, Hatakka J, Holmén K, Viisanen Y. Airborne fission products in the High Arctic after the Fukushima nuclear accident. J Environ Radioact. 2012 Dec;114:41-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2011.12.027. Epub 2012 Feb 1.
    
11. Povinec PP, Sýkora I, Holý K, Gera M, Kováik A, Brest’áková L. Aerosol radioactivity record in Bratislava/Slovakia following the Fukushima accident–a comparison with global fallout and the Chernobyl accident. J Environ Radioact. 2012 Dec;114:81-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2012.05.008. Epub 2012 Jun 7.
    
12. Thakur P, Ballard S, Nelson R. Radioactive fallout in the United States due to the Fukushima nuclear plant accident. J Environ Monit. 2012 May;14(5):1317-24. doi: 10.1039/c2em11011c. Epub 2012 Mar 29.
    
13. Tagami K, Uchida S. Can we remove iodine-131 from tap water in Japan by boiling? – Experimental testing in response to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Chemosphere. 2011 Aug;84(9):1282-4. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.05.050. Epub 2011 Jun 22.
    
14. Hashimoto S, Ugawa S, Nanko K, Shichi K. The total amounts of radioactively contaminated materials in forests in Fukushima, Japan. Sci Rep. 2012;2:416. doi: 10.1038/srep00416. Epub 2012 May 25.
    
15. Isobe T, Mori Y, Takada K, Sato E, Takahashi H, Sekiguchi T, Yoshimura Y, Sakurai H, Sakae T. Evaluation of vegetables in Tsukuba for contamination with radioactive materials from the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Health Phys. 2013 Oct;105(4):311-7. doi: 10.1097/HP.0b013e3182895759.
    
16. Wada T, Nemoto Y, Shimamura S, Fujita T, Mizuno T, Sohtome T, Kamiyama K, Morita T, Igarashi S. Effects of the nuclear disaster on marine products in Fukushima. J Environ Radioact. 2013 Oct;124:246-54. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2013.05.008. Epub 2013 Jul 3.
    
17. Fisher NS, Beaugelin-Seiller K, Hinton TG, Baumann Z, Madigan DJ, Garnier-Laplace J. Evaluation of radiation doses and associated risk from the Fukushima nuclear accident to marine biota and human consumers of seafood. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jun 25;110(26):10670-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1221834110. Epub 2013 Jun 3.
    
18. The Asahi Shimbun. Fish with very high levels of cesium found near Fukushima. (last accessed 2014-02-13)
    
19. Shimura H, Itoh K, Sugiyama A, Ichijo S, Ichijo M, Furuya F, Nakamura Y, Kitahara K, Kobayashi K, Yukawa Y, Kobayashi T. Absorption of radionuclides from the Fukushima nuclear accident by a novel algal strain. PLoS One. 2012;7(9):e44200. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044200. Epub 2012 Sep 12.
    
20. Monzen S, Hosoda M, Tokonami S, Osanai M, Yoshino H, Hosokawa Y, Yoshida MA, Yamada M, Asari Y, Satoh K, Kashiwakura I. Individual radiation exposure dose due to support activities at safe shelters in Fukushima Prefecture. PLoS One. 2011;6(11):e27761. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027761. Epub 2011 Nov 16.
    
21. Akashi M, Tominaga T, Takabatake T, Michikawa Y, Hachiya M. [Radiation emergency medical preparedness in Japan--lessons learned from the Fukushima accident]. Nihon Rinsho. 2012 Mar;70(3):469-74.

About the author:Dr. Edward F. Group founded Global Healing Center in 1998 and is currently the Chief Executive Officer. Heading up the research and development team, Dr. Group assumes a hands-on approach in producing new and advanced degenerative disease products and information.Dr. Group has studied natural healing methods for over 20 years and now teaches individuals and practitioners all around the world. He no longer sees patients but solely concentrates on spreading the word of health and wellness to the global community. Under his leadership, Global Healing Center, Inc. has earned recognition as one of the largest alternative, natural and organic health resources on the Internet.

http://wakeup-world.com/2014/02/21/8...ear-radiation/

US Gov’t: Scientists investigating if Fukushima radiation contributed to unusual deaths and sickness in marine mammals — Similar illness seen in Japan and other countries on Pacific — Expect ‘hairless seals’ this spring

Published: February 24th, 2014 at 3:19 am ET By ENENews Email Article 33 comments

Northern Pinnipeds Unusual Mortality Event Fact Sheet, NOAA, Feb. 2014: Beginning mid-July 2011, elevated numbers of sick or dead seals with skin lesions started being discovered in the Arctic and Bering Strait regions of Alaska. [...] Diseased seals — primarily ringed seals — exhibited hair loss, delayed molting, and skin ulcers. Some of these seals also exhibited lethargy and labored breathing. [...] skin lesions in Pacific walruses in Alaska [were reported], with some associated mortality. Spotted seals and bearded seals were also affected. There were reports of pinnipeds [fin-footed marine mammals] with similar symptoms in Canada, Russia, and Japan. [...] Due to the unusual number of marine mammals discovered with similar symptoms across a wide geographic area, [...] NOAA and USFWS announced the declaration of an Unusual Mortality Event [...] the first UME involving subsistence species in coastal Alaskan communities. [...] Scientists consider multiple stressors in the environment to be contributing factors [...] some seals which are likely survivors of the disease are still exhibiting patchy alopecia. Hunters can expect to continue to see hairless seals in spring 2014, particularly in the subadult age group. [...] Despite extensive laboratory analysis [UME Researcher: Only 4 tissue samples were tested for radionuclides due to limited funding and capacity], no specific disease agent or process has been identified. [...] Testing continues for a wide range of possible factors in this disease, including immune system-related diseases, fungi, man-made and bio-toxins, radiation exposure [...] Preliminary radionuclide testing conducted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks found radiation levels within the typical background range [Prior reports from NOAA say otherwise]. Scientists are investigating the possibility that radiation could have been one of many factors that contributed to the illness [...]
Nome Nugget (pdf), Feb. 7, 2014: [...] “There can be arguments made that it is or isn’t Fukushima,” said [Ice Seal Committee member Brandon Ahmasuk]. “Even though we’re told there is not enough radiation detected to be concerned about, we don’t know. There is no data to back it up.” Dr. Doug Dasher, Research Professor at the Institute of Marine Science at [U. of Alaska, Fairbanks], John Kelley, Gay Sheffield and Raphaela Stimmelmayr [...] hypothesized that the 2011 Fukushima fallout from the air could have had something to do with the unusual morality event [...] Only contaminated food eaten by the seals would have shown up in the tissue sample. The analysis could not take airborne fallout into account [...] they “cannot rule out that increased radiological exposure in combination with a mixture of other contaminants represented an immunotoxic and thyroid gland disease risk” [...]
Alaska Public Radio Network, Jan. 24, 2014 (at 6:00 in): Dr. Dasher: What we looked at is [...] multiple stressors, where an animal or human could [feel? the] impact of climate change, contaminants, your food supply may be changing, so the body’s under stress. Then you add a chemical, be it radiation [...] that can cause illnesses. Host: So [radioactive pollution] could have been a factor along with other stressors? Dasher: Yeah, that’s what we found.

http://enenews.com/us-govt-scientist...-expect-to-see

Scientists are investigating the possibility that radiation could have been one of many factors that contributed to the illness

Duh......................................no brainer if you ask me.....