Monitoring program at DOE's Idaho site detects minuscule amounts of radioactivity from recent events in Japan

As expected, the extensive environmental monitoring program at and around the Department of Energy's Idaho site has detected minuscule amounts of radioactivity associated with recent releases from the damaged Fukushima nuclear facility in Japan.  The results are consistent with the detection of radioactivity that has occurred in other locations around the U.S. and with results from the State of Idaho monitoring network. The amount of radioactivity detected poses no health concern.

For perspective, the radiation doses by people in the eastern Idaho area from the Fukushima nuclear facility releases are a small fraction of those received each day in the U.S. from natural sources of radiation - such as rocks, bricks, and the sun. 

Additional information about radiation and the detection of radioactivity associated with Fukushima nuclear facility is available at the following websites.

DOE Blog on the Situation in Japan:
http://blog.energy.gov/content/situation-japan

Environmental Protection Agency Radnet Air Monitoring Data:
http://epa.gov/japan2011/rert/radnet-data.html 

State of  Idaho INL Oversight Program:
http://www.deq.idaho.gov/Applications/NewsApp/showNews.cfm?news_id=3257&CFID=256987&CFTOKEN=90722552
http://www.deq.idaho.gov/inl_oversight/radiation/radiation_guide.cfm

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare:
http://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/Health/SituationinJapanIdahoUpdate/tabid/1610/Default.aspx

Additional information about INL site environmental monitoring programs can be found at:
http://www.gsseser.com/Annuals/2009/index2.htm
http://www.gsseser.com/ionizing_radiation.htm