[Mike]

Expansive ‘death zone’ of birds on Alaska island, perhaps thousands washed ashore —
Resident: Radiation’s always on the backs of our minds —
Samples sent to lab for testing —
Reporter: ‘Facebook alarmists’ fear Fukushima to blameHome

Alaska Dispatch, Nov. 26, 2013: Hundreds of dead seabirds wash ashore on Alaska island in Bering Sea […] perhaps thousands […] following storms that slammed into Western Alaska earlier this month and littered stretches of St. Lawrence Island with the carcasses of crested auklets, murres, ducks and other birds. Facebook alarmists feared Fukushima radiation was to blame […] The expanse of the death zone and the variety of birds — cormorants and northern fulmars were also found — suggest storms that recently lashed the region with powerful gusts may be the culprit, said [Peter Bente, a state wildlife biologist] […] Still, samples of the carcasses were sent to the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., for testing. […] The victims were nearly all young […] scores of dead and sick ringed seals — some with open wounds, unusual hair loss and internal ulcers — that began washing up in summer 2011 in Western Alaska.

Even today, a few seals continue to trickle ashore […] Perry Pungowiyi, an island resident: “[Radiation’s] always on the backs of our minds.”

Doug Dasher, a researcher with the University of Alaska Fairbanks: “[St. Lawrence Island’s] way too far north for the marine transport to occur right now.”

Prior statements from Dasher, Nov. 6, 2013: “It’s one of the largest releases that’s ever occurred into the marine environment. It’s occurred in a shorter period of time than anything has occurred before. […] We really need to sample to understand this, we really need to look at what’s happening out there in the ecosystem.”

Monitoring of Radioactivity in Caribou and Beluga in response to the Fukushima accident, 2012/13: This project will determine radioactive contaminant levels in Canadian Arctic caribou and beluga whale, in response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, which began on March 11, 2011. These measurements will determine whether contaminant levels in these resources have changed since the accident […] the possible human health impacts of the beluga and caribou measurements will be determined.

Nov. 18: Alaska: 28% of polar bears with skin lesions & hair loss, thyroids tested by gov’t… like symptoms in seals & walrus — Surprisingly high mortality of musk ox, weak immune system suspected — High rate of embryo deaths & bad eggs for geese

Nov. 14: US Gov’t: Alaska island “appears to show impacts from Fukushima” — “Significant cesium isotope signature” detected — Scientists anticipate more marine life to be impacted as ocean plume arrives Nov. 3: CBC Headline: Radiation from Fukushima arrives on Alaska coast — University scientists concerned — “Is the food supply safe?… I don’t think anyone can really answer that”

Source: http://enenews.com/expansive-death-zone-of-birds-on-alaska-island-perhaps-thousands-washed-ashore-resident-radiations-always-on-the-backs-of-our-minds-facebook-alarmists-feared-fukushima-was-to-blame