20 million tons of tsunami debris drifting toward Hawaii

National Oct. 26, 2011 - 06:10PM JST ( 27 )

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27 Comments

-7

JapanGalOct. 26, 2011 - 06:11PM JST

“We keep sighting every day things like wooden boards, plastic bottles, buoys from fishing nets (small and big ones), an object resembling wash basin, drums, boots, other wastes.

Same stuff washes up on the beach shores here after each taifu and big storms. Sounds normal to me.
0

edojinOct. 26, 2011 - 06:16PM JST

JapanGal ... can you give us an idea of which beach you are talking about?
6

gogogoOct. 26, 2011 - 07:14PM JST

Why would it be radioactive? The plant didn't blow up until 4 days later?
0

sourpussOct. 26, 2011 - 07:28PM JST

Just how far across the Pacific are these Midway islands anyway?

What? Oh... Er, never mind.
-4

recherche88Oct. 26, 2011 - 07:29PM JST

@gogogo The Fukushima plant actually began emitting radiation immediately after the earthquake, before the tsunami struck.

See: http://www.nature.com/news/2011/111025/full/478435a.html
-7

Elbuda MexicanoOct. 26, 2011 - 07:30PM JST

Great! And how much of this crap is also radioactive?? Aloha!!
-1

JapanGalOct. 26, 2011 - 08:46PM JST

Edojin:

Odakyuline towards Katase Enoshima. Kugenuma Kaigan is one stop before. It can get really trashed. So organized clean-ups always occur. Without storms or Taifu it is fine.

After one Taifu two years ago it looked like a big Inoshishi was there being eaten by crows.
3

edojinOct. 26, 2011 - 09:24PM JST

Enoshima ... nice area ... thanks JapanGal ...
2

Christina O'NeillOct. 26, 2011 - 09:28PM JST

20 million tons of debris that was once a part of peoples lives. The cleaners are going to find some very sad reminders of this
0

jinjapanOct. 26, 2011 - 09:31PM JST

isn't there some way to douse it in kerosene, lots & lots of kerosene, & burn it away ?
0

Elbuda MexicanoOct. 26, 2011 - 09:46PM JST

Good idea Jin! But it isn't going to be easy to round up all the garbage out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and lump it all up and then pour tons and tons of kerosene, take out a match a burn it all up, but the whole world or at least the USA should get its navy out there and help Japan clean up this crap before it does make it out to Waikiki etc..ALOHA!
2

FadamorOct. 26, 2011 - 10:09PM JST

Headline:

20 million tons of tsunami debris drifting toward Hawaii

Text from the article:

Hafner said the massive tsunami generated an estimated five to 20 million tons of water-borne debris, and though a large portion has probably sunk “quite some amount is still floating.”

Pretty sad when the headline writers can't even read the information in the articles they're creating headlines for. If the UPPER end of the estimated debris is 20 million tons, and a LARGE portion of the actual amount of debris has probably sunk, how does that translate into the full 20 million tons still drifting towards Hawaii? FAIL.
3

gogogoOct. 26, 2011 - 11:06PM JST

@recherche88: don't fan the flames that article even says "possibly"
-2

recherche88Oct. 26, 2011 - 11:46PM JST

@gogogo

We may be focusing on different parts of the article. I'm referring to:

"The latest analysis also presents evidence that xenon-133 began to vent from Fukushima Daiichi immediately after the quake, and before the tsunami swamped the area."
-2

jinjapanOct. 27, 2011 - 01:03AM JST

throw some napalm in the mix as well. seems that a lot of the garbage is already floating together . i love the smell of napalm in the morning.
1

zichiOct. 27, 2011 - 01:42AM JST

pieces of people's lives are floating in te ocean. Photo's, writings, other personal stuff. All a sad memory of the deadly and dreadful day on 3/11.

Radiation wasn't released immediately form the nuclear power plant and having already spent several months in the ocean, it's unlikely to have any measurable levels of radiation.
-4

Elbuda MexicanoOct. 27, 2011 - 01:43AM JST

Napalm in the morning?? Sounds like something from one of those Hollywood movies glorifying the Vietnam war, but I really doubt napalm etc..smells lovely, and if this garbage from Tohoku, Japan is contaminated with radiation, burning may release the radiation out into the air right?? Aloha!
2

FadamorOct. 27, 2011 - 05:01AM JST

Elbuda,

First, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning!" is a quote from Robert Duvall's character in "Apocalypse Now" and was intended to show how "gung-ho" the character - Lt. Colonel William "Bill" Kilgore - was. The movie most certainly was NOT glorifying the Vietnam War. If you've seen it, you know.

Second, the debris was departing the area before the reactors exploded and released the majority of their radiation. As was noted by the Russian training ship, the fishing boat they recovered showed no radiation when checked. Most of the other flotsam and jetsam should be similar.
1

Ranger_Miffy2Oct. 27, 2011 - 05:42AM JST

It's not radioactive, folks. Beach combing paradise floating in towards the western beaches. Going to be a lot of interesting flotsam for sale in the junk stores for years, and decorating front lawns. Except for that fishing boat? And, this is going to be one big headache to clean up the beaches for a few years as it washes in. What a weird secondary effect.
-5

omicronOct. 27, 2011 - 07:18AM JST

These debris are most likely radioactive. We all know that The other half of the 20km no-go zone is the Pacific Ocean, then it only means those terabecquerels of radiation went there. And then again, water flows and the wind blows, who knows where the radiation went. Maybe it's heading to Hawaii and other islands in the Pacific.
1

sf2kOct. 27, 2011 - 08:05AM JST

omicron

Since the tsunami occurred BEFORE the nuclear meltdowns, then it's NOT radioactive flotsam drifting East.
0

realmindOct. 27, 2011 - 08:15AM JST

It is not 19 million, it is not 21 million. It is just 20 million and 11.5 kilos. Error may be 500 gm plus or minus.
-1

whiskeysourOct. 27, 2011 - 11:46AM JST

So what's the good news ???????

I guess it's time to clean up the west coast of north america. Time to get the trash bags and pick up the pieces.

I guess all the fish if they are not containminated by ceisum they going to get contaminated by plastic and woood pieces. When you grill a fish you don't need to a wood stove. It should have enough wood consumed by the fish.

The Pacific is totally screwed !!!!!!
1

whiskeysourOct. 27, 2011 - 12:01PM JST

Hawaiians are ready to do their part. At least they are not afraid to clean the beach. I'm living close to Kasai Rinkai Koen - the beaches there are garbage infested before the March 11th earthquake
-1

TahoochiOct. 27, 2011 - 02:13PM JST

Going to be a lot of interesting flotsam for sale in the junk stores for years, and decorating front lawns.

I wonder if some people will find some cold hard cash mixed in there too? Many old school Japanese folks keep their savings under tatami boards and in wardrobes. Of course, the right thing for people who find any cash would be to turn it into the authorities who would pool that money and send it to Japan......
0

Elbuda MexicanoOct. 27, 2011 - 06:45PM JST

Hawaii should say ALOHA to some big $$$$ compensation from TEPCO if this garbage etc..has radiation and if it means less $$$ tourists to the Hawaiian islands IMHO.
0

FadamorOct. 27, 2011 - 10:34PM JST

Things like tatami mats will have sunk long before they got to Hawaii. About the only thing likely to make it to Hawaii will be the lumber used in the houses that were swept out to sea. Any radioactive particles that fell on this lumber as it was leaving Japan's waters would have been washed away by wave action months ago.