Wave of Japanese tsunami debris heading for the west coast
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OCEAN SHORES, Wash. -- New debris is washing ashore from last year's horrific earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Japan.
Many of the items are small, but some experts say there are about 1.5 million tons of the debris floating in the Pacific Ocean on a course to the west coast.
Even though we know it's coming, nobody can really predict when or how much debris will arrive on our beaches.
"There's no certainty as to what may happen," said Nir Barnea with the NOAA Marine Debris Program.
The question is, what will wash ashore and will it be dangerous, since the quake and tsunami hit a Japanese nuclear power plant?
Public health experts have been out for days, walking the coastline and monitoring radiation levels to give them a baseline for comparison.
"Should tsunami debris arrive next year that we are concerned about, we'll be able to compare the results of what we got this year with next year and the difference would be an indication of a problem or not a problem," said Mike Priddy, Radiation Program Director with the state Department of Health.
The department of health also sampled salmon and steelhead returning to the Columbia and Snake Rivers.
"And we've found no indication of radiation on anything so far," Priddy said.
Some debris already arrived. The Coast Guard recently sank a Japanese fishing vessel off the coast of Alaska, and mariners discovered two other vessels believed to be from the tsunami as well.
"Right now, the debris we expect is probably that which rides low in the water, kind of floats, that is pushed by the winds," said Curt Hart of the Department of Ecology.
People have also recently found kerosene cans and barrels along the coast. Hart asks anyone who sees debris to refrain from touching it and call authorities.
Experts say there are state and federal funds designed to handle routine cleanups and spills. Sen. Maria Cantwell said she is also working on making sure there's additional federal money and support, if needed, for the tsunami cleanup.
All of these questions, with few hard answers, have prompted scientific experts to come together to formulate a plan to deal with the debris.
If you see litter and typical marine debris or personal items that may have come from Japan, report it in detail, emailing disaterdebris@noaa.gov.
If you come across something that could be hazardous, call the National Response Center at 800-424-8802 or 800-OILS-911
More information on Japan tsunami debris is available online.
Many of the items are small, but some experts say there are about 1.5 million tons of the debris floating in the Pacific Ocean on a course to the west coast.
Even though we know it's coming, nobody can really predict when or how much debris will arrive on our beaches.
"There's no certainty as to what may happen," said Nir Barnea with the NOAA Marine Debris Program.
The question is, what will wash ashore and will it be dangerous, since the quake and tsunami hit a Japanese nuclear power plant?
Public health experts have been out for days, walking the coastline and monitoring radiation levels to give them a baseline for comparison.
"Should tsunami debris arrive next year that we are concerned about, we'll be able to compare the results of what we got this year with next year and the difference would be an indication of a problem or not a problem," said Mike Priddy, Radiation Program Director with the state Department of Health.
The department of health also sampled salmon and steelhead returning to the Columbia and Snake Rivers.
"And we've found no indication of radiation on anything so far," Priddy said.
Some debris already arrived. The Coast Guard recently sank a Japanese fishing vessel off the coast of Alaska, and mariners discovered two other vessels believed to be from the tsunami as well.
"Right now, the debris we expect is probably that which rides low in the water, kind of floats, that is pushed by the winds," said Curt Hart of the Department of Ecology.
People have also recently found kerosene cans and barrels along the coast. Hart asks anyone who sees debris to refrain from touching it and call authorities.
Experts say there are state and federal funds designed to handle routine cleanups and spills. Sen. Maria Cantwell said she is also working on making sure there's additional federal money and support, if needed, for the tsunami cleanup.
All of these questions, with few hard answers, have prompted scientific experts to come together to formulate a plan to deal with the debris.
If you see litter and typical marine debris or personal items that may have come from Japan, report it in detail, emailing disaterdebris@noaa.gov.
If you come across something that could be hazardous, call the National Response Center at 800-424-8802 or 800-OILS-911
More information on Japan tsunami debris is available online.
