Fukushima: The Disaster That keeps On Giving. Debris Island the Size of Texas Heading to the US Coast.

Experts at NOAA are becoming increasingly concerned not just about the debris from Fukushima that is arriving on our shores, but with the non-native bugs, germs and even sea life that is arriving with it.

“At first we were only thinking about objects like the floating docks, but now we’re finding that all kinds of Japanese organisms are growing on the debris,”John Chapman of the Marine Science Center at Oregon State University told Fox News.

“We’ve found over 165 non-native species so far,”he continued.”One type of insect, and almost all the others are marine organisms … we found the European blue mussel, which was introduced to Asia long ago, and then it grew on a lot of these things that are coming across the Pacific … we’d never seen it here, and we don’t particularly want it here.” (source)

Guam faced the same problem with brown tree snakes that were inadvertently taken to the island on an American ship some 60 years ago. Dead mice laced with acetaminophen were dropped onto the island in an attempt to wipe out the infestation. You can read more here.

Scientists are concerned that non-native species will alter the eco system and reduce or wipe out some native species. As big a worry would be viruses and germs getting into the United States that have not been a problem here before.

Although they are playing down the risk of radioactive contamination, it’s logical to assume that some of the debris is contaminated. The days of beachcombing for washed up treasure is sadly gone. Anything washed up along the California coast should be treated with suspicion and reported to the appropriate authorities so that it can be removed.