West Coast braces for tsunami debris arrival

West Coast braces for tsunami debris arrival

By BECKY BOHRER and AUDREY McAVOY
Associated Press

Published: June 9th, 2012 11:32 AM
Last Modified: June 9th, 2012 11:32 AM

www.adn.com...

Chris Pallister / AP Photo

JUNEAU -- More than a year after a tsunami devastated Japan, killing thousands of people and washing millions of tons of debris into the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. government and West Coast states don't have a cohesive plan for cleaning up the rubble that floats to American shores.

The Japanese government estimates that 1.5 million tons of debris is floating in the ocean from the catastrophe. Some experts in the United States think the bulk of that trash will never reach shore, while others fear a massive, slowly-unfolding environmental disaster.

One astonishing example of how the unexpected can suddenly appear occurred Wednesday in Oregon when a concrete and metal dock that measured 66 feet long, seven feet tall and 19 feet wide, washed ashore a mile north of Newport. A Japanese consulate official in Portland confirmed that the dock came from the northern Japanese city of Misawa, cut loose in the tsunami of March 11, 2011.

I was wondering if/when this was going to happen. Apparently small things have already begun washing up on the west coast of the United States not to mention the dock. Is any of this irradiated? is there more to be concerned with than simply cleaning up the trash?

The time to decide who is going to be responsible for clean up, be it State or Gov. in my opinion is come and gone but here they are bickering about it. Its Summer time and there are people all along the coast vacationing on the beach. Are they at risk? Did the Government/States know it was coming and have done nothing in the fear of loosing their Summer vacationers MONEY? This situation just keeps getting worse.

An other article on the situation... 5 major pieces of tsunami debris found so far
By MARK THIESSEN
Associated Press

Published: June 9th, 2012 10:01 PM
Last Modified: June 9th, 2012 10:02 PM

www.adn.com...

reply to post by DocHolidaze


....here's one,they multiply on demand

I got dibs on Miyabi Isshiki....

also all of the foreign species and organisms that were swept too. it will be interesting in the next couple years to see how they will interact..

reply to post by yourmaker


Very good point. Thanks for bring it in.

I live in Portland, Oregon and travel to the coast regularily. Actually, I went to Cape Lookout state park by Tillimook, and we found loads of debri from the sunami. So far I have only found bottles, cans, and a pen. All with Japanese writing on it too. Though a dock did wash up on Agate beach.

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