April 1, 2014 — Alaska fish are being tested for radiation contamination from Japan’s leaking Fukushima Nuclear energy plant.
The power plant was damaged during an earthquake three years ago and continues to releases radioactive water into the sea.
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation State Director of Environmental Health Elaine Busse Floyd says samples of Alaska fish have been submitted to a Federal Food and Drug Administration testing program.
“We were able to just encourage the FDA to add 20 samples of Alaskan fish to their annual monitoring program to specifically look and test fish for radionuclides,” she said.
Floyd says each Alaska fish sample, is made up of multiple flesh samples from various species including halibut, pollock, sable fish and salmon, including Copper River and Bristol Bay stocks. The samples were sent to an F.D.A. testing lab in Massachusetts in March, the first time Alaska fish has been submitted for testing.
Read the full story and listen to the audio from Alaska Public Media