California’s radiation warning system suffers problems
MAR 25, 2011
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.025167
Los AngelesTimes : The US government’s crucial radiation alert network in California is not fully functional; that leaves the stretch of coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco unprotected in the event of a nuclear emergency, according to Jack Dolan and Ron-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times. Half of the 12 Environmental Protection Agency detectors in California have problems that could delay alerts by several hours. The system is critical for warning the public of a sudden radiation danger from foreign or domestic sources. That weakness has not caused problems during the Japanese nuclear crisis because radiation reaching US shores has been minuscule, but critics say the lack of consistent alerts could pose a public health concern.
© 2011 American Institute of Physics
