Government research shows Fukushima radiation spike over southwestern British Columbia in 2011

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      A study by several researchers, including Health Canada monitoring specialist Ian Hoffman, reveals a sharp spike in radiation over southwest B.C. on March 20, 2011.

      That was nine days after a devastating earthquake hit Japan, triggering a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima power plant.

      Hoffman and the other researchers (Environment Canada's Alain Malo, Jean-Philippe Gauthier, and Gilles Mercier, and graduate student Réal D'Amours) relied on the Canadian Meteorological Centre's dispersion model to track the arrival of the radioactive plume in B.C.

      With sampling conducted every 15 minutes, they concluded there are "small scale/sharp features in the plume even after several days of travel times".

      A PowerPoint presentation declares that several studies already exist concerning the release of radiation from the crippled power-plant in Japan.

      "The Fukushima plume provided nice opportunities to test radioactivity detection capabilities," The PowerPoint presentation states.

      In 2011, investigative journalist Alex Roslin reported in the Georgia Straight that a Health Canada monitoring station in Sidney had detected radioactive iodine-131 levels up to 300 times normal background levels.

      In 2011, Health Canada was declaring on its website that the quantities of radiation reaching Canada did not pose any health risk to Canadians.

      "The very slight increases in radiation across the country have been smaller than the normal day-to-day fluctuations from background radiation," Health Canada said at the time.

      Roslin maintained in his article that Health Canada's own data contradicted that assertion. Below, you can see more of what the researchers stated in the PowerPoint presentation about the radiation plume.

      Comments

      42 Comments

      Dody Baldandorj

      Dec 4, 2013 at 2:10pm

      they should stop covering up all this.

      Dody Baldandorj

      Dec 4, 2013 at 2:13pm

      They should stop covering up. Handling all this via local
      power plant 1960s style it is insane

      Meathead

      Dec 5, 2013 at 1:27am

      Dudes and Dudettes! The radiation levels never even blipped beyond background levels despite these shocking graphs. How is it these miniscule, radioactive particulate matter is expected to cause some human disaster? Call me when it's a catastrophe...

      ThatsTheFact

      Dec 5, 2013 at 2:29am

      Since Iodine-131 is particularly harmful to children's thyroid glands, did 'Health Canada' give a warning to parents to keep their children indoors during the peak Iodine-131 levels found in Canada?

      The answer is no.

      Therefore, isn't 'Health Canada' guilty of negligence or criminality?

      OldReader

      Dec 5, 2013 at 5:32am

      Keep digging, Mr Smith. As someone may have mentioned a couple years ago. Thanks for the update. More to come?

      400 ppm

      Dec 5, 2013 at 8:01am

      @ThatsTheFact

      Where did you get this myth that Health Canada, or any other gov't agency, exists for the masses when it's there for the owners of Canada?

      2011 News...

      Dec 5, 2013 at 9:21am

      did it really take 2 years for this article to be published, this is old news and a pretty weak article.

      WTF

      Dec 5, 2013 at 9:23am

      Add to that ALL the Pollution that blows our way via Sea and Air from Asia, Communist China, Commie Vietnam & Commie Russia :)