EPA Situation Report on Japanese Radiological Accident

[Jim Hardeman <Jim_Hardeman@mail.dnr.state.ga.us>]

The following is an EPA situation report
issued last night (September 30) by EPA.

Jim Hardeman

>>> "Rabb, Jim" <jar5@cdc.gov>
10/01/99 09:53 >>>
last night's EPA update

-----Original Message-----
From:
Carpentier.Marcia@epamail.epa.gov
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 1999 7:07
PM

Subject: EPA Situation Report on
Japanese Radiological Accident




             EPA Situation Report on
Japanese Radiological Accident

                  September 30, 1999 - 7:00
p.m. Eastern Time

INCIDENT DESCRIPTION

A radiological accident occurred at a
nuclear fuel fabrication facility in
the
village of Tokaimura, Ibaraki Prefecture
approximately 87 miles northeast of
Tokyo, Japan, about 8:35 p.m.
Wednesday (Eastern Time). At present,
there is
an
uncontrolled nuclear reaction at the facility.
 Although the situation is
serious, Japanese authorities believe that
there is little likelihood of an
explosion that would disperse
contamination over a wide area.

Preliminary modeling information from the
U.S. Department of Energy
indicates
the spread of radioactive contamination
poses a potential health threat
within 1
to 2 km of the site.  The DOE data further
predict that the Japanese nuclear
accident poses no threat to Hawaii or
Pacific islands.

Approximately 50 households surrounding
the facility have been ordered to
evacuate, and people living within 10 km
(6 mi.) of the site have ordered to
stay indoors.  The U.S. embassy in Japan
has asked U.S. citizens in the
accident
area to observe the same precautions.

President Clinton has extended an offer of
US assistance to the Japanese
Government.  The Department of Energy
Secretary Richardson and the Russian
government have also offered assistance.

EPA ACTIONS

At this time, there are no reports of air
releases reaching the U.S. or its
territories.  We do not know whether any
radioactivity from the site will
reach
the US.  As a precaution, EPA has
increased the sampling rate from weekly
to
daily of the Environmental Radiation
Ambient Monitoring System (ERAMS).
ERAMS
is a nationwide monitoring system of 55
stations that regularly samples air,
drinking and surface water, precipitation
and milk to determine levels of
radiation present in the environment.  The
next situation report will
contain
the locations of the ERAMS stations.

EPA is the lead U.S. federal agency for
nuclear accidents that may impact
the
U.S. from foreign or unknown sources. 
EPA is leading a team of federal
agencies
in tracking events at the Japanese site and
in preparing any plans to
safeguard
the U.S. public should any radioactive
contamination reach the U.S.
Agencies
working with EPA in this effort include the
Department of Energy, the State
Department, Department of Defense,
Nuclear Regulatory Agency, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, the
Department of Health and Human
Services,
and
the Department of Agriculture.


The next federal agency conference call
on this incident will take place on
Friday, October 1 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern
Time.  The call in number is
202-690-XXXX, access code XXXX#.

For more information call the Office of
Radiation and Indoor Air:

Weekday hours: 202-564-XXXX
Nights and weekends: Gregg Dempsey 
702-251-XXXX





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