Sakhalin region radiation background normal

VLADIVOSTOK, March 28 (Itar-Tass) - No deviation from normal
background radiation in any districts of the Sakhalin region was
registered on Monday.
According to the hydrometeorology service, the background radiation
level is from 7 to 16 micro-roentgens per hour there. Intensified
monitoring of the radiation situation continues by efforts of 99 posts.
Ships of the Sakhalin Coast Guard department of the FSB are taking part in
the monitoring.
No radiation hazard is forecasted on the Sakhalin and Kuril Islands
that geographically are the closest to Japan Russian territories, the
press service of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry's (EMERCOM)
main department for the Sakhalin region reported.
According to earlier reports, the radiation background on the Sakhalin
and Kuril Islands was normal in the wake of explosions at the Japanese
Fukushima No 1 nuclear power plant. No deviations from the norm were
registered last week in any area of the Sakhalin region. The natural
background radiation in the Sakhalin region (norm) was 17 micro roentgens
per hour, the permissible - 30 micro roentgens per hour, the press service
of the EMERCOM's main department for the Sakhalin region reported.
Intensified monitoring of the radiation situation continued, units of a
number of agencies, including 20 posts of the island's hydrometeorology
service, the RF Defence Ministry, Centre of Hygiene and Epidemiology and
Sakhalin Coast Guard department of FSB were involved in it in all areas of
the Sakhalin region.
A stationary post of radiation-chemical monitoring of Emergency
Ministry's main department for the Sakhalin region and a mobile post of
the Sakhalin-based Polyakov search and rescue group were also deployed.
Taking part in the monitoring were also vessels of the Sakhalin Coast
Guard department. Starting March 11, measurements have been taken every
two hours throughout the region, the data are continuously transferred to
the Crisis Management Centre of the Sakhalin region's emergencies
department.
There is no threat to the population at present, and it is not
forecasted, believes the Sakhalin regional emergencies department. It
addressed the Sakhalin region's residents with a recommendation not to use
the background radiation information from unverified sources.
The railway, ferry service and airport of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk are
operating normally.
On 11 March 2011, an earthquake categorised as 9.0 MW on the moment
magnitude scale occurred at 14:46 Japan Standard Time (JST) off the
northeast coast of Japan. The effects of the natural disaster led to
cooling problems in reactors 1, 2 and 3 followed by accidents at the
Fukushima No 1 nuclear power plant, rated by Japan's nuclear safety agency
at level 4 (accident with local consequences) on the International Nuclear
Event Scale (INES). Over 170,000 people were evacuated after officials
voiced the possibility of a meltdown. The external structure of Units 1,
2, and 3 collapsed after hydrogen explosions. The containment building of
Unit 1 and 3 remained intact, but Unit 2 was feared damaged. On 15 March
2011, the Unit 4 fuel pond caught fire, increasing radiation levels and
prompting more evacuations. Reactors 1, 2 and 3 have been filled with
seawater and are likely to be decommissioned, since it is not cost
effective to decontaminate.