Four Sites Where You Can Monitor U.S. Radiation Levels

UPDATED with a fourth site, EPA’s RadNet Lab Open Data system.

 

EPA's map of U.S. radiation monitoring stations

EPA map of U.S. radiation monitoring stations

 Radiation from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster has been detected in the air in five Western states and in rainwater in at least two so far.

While federal officials continue to assure the public that no harmful levels have reached the United States, some Americans have not been content to take the government at its word. Geiger counters have been selling like popsicles in summer, and traffic has never been higher at websites that display data from radiation monitoring stations.

We list three such sites below.

Officials have said Fukushima radiation cannot reach the U.S. without being diluted to safe levels, and that the isotopes detected so far would not be sufficient to bump the numbers recorded on these sites, but should you wish to keep your own eye on things:

EPA RadNet

Note: Since the post was originally published, the Environmental Protection Agency launched a new open-data system where it posts laboratory results from its sampling of air, precipitation, drinking water and milk. The new system can be found here: RadNet Sampling Data.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s RadNet system is designed to detect radiation from accidents like the Fukushima disaster in Japan and from foreign nuclear tests. It displays a map of the United States with monitoring stations highlighted. Click on one for a graphic representation of its data.

Last night the graphs were displaying no data—in the wake of EPA’s revelation that radiation had been detected in rainwater. Above empty frames appeared the message, in bold: “To-date, levels recorded at this monitor have been thousands of times below any conservative level of concern.”

But when the system is working, it collects data from more than 140 monitoring stations that sniff the air at three times the rate of normal human breathing. The stations collect particles on filters, analyze their radioactivity and transmit data hourly to EPA, where officials review the numbers and post the graphs online within two hours.

RadNet also issues a daily report, which almost always says, “EPA’s RadNet radiation air monitors across the U.S. show typical fluctuations in background radiation levels. The levels detected are far below levels of concern.”

Nevada Program

If there’s a benefit to having 928 nuclear explosions in your state, it might be having the nation’s greatest concentration of radiation monitoring stations.

A legacy of the Nevada Proving Grounds, Nevada’s radiation monitoring program was reinvigorated after Sept. 11. Operated by the Department of Energy and the Desert Research Institute, the Community Environmental Monitoring Program only covers Nevada and Utah, but it should be of interest to states downwind.

Click on a station for historical results. Click “most recent results” for more detail. While you’re at it you can learn air temperature, soil temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, and more.

The government depends on volunteers—many of them high-school science teachers—to visit its radiation monitoring stations, collect air filters, and bring them in for testing. Thanks to them, Nevadans can keep close watch—with some delay—on radiation levels in the air they breathe.

Unlike the EPA’s system, the CEMP was working last night, reporting detailed readings at levels presumed to be safe.

Radiation Network

Don’t trust the government? Mineralab, a Prescott, Arizona, company that sells geiger counters, maintains radiationnetwork.com, “a nationwide grass roots effort to monitor the radiation in our environment.”

The network collects data from private citizens nationwide who keep their geiger-counters running, with data uploading automatically to the website in real time. The site recently added citizen monitors in Europe and Japan.

The Radiation Network’s map also displays potential sources of radiation across the U.S., including nuclear power plants, testing sites, waste collection facilities, etc.

“Our Monitoring Stations have not yet registered a big, or even perceptibly significant ‘Gamma event’ from any radiation drifting over from Japan, so we can take a little solace in that,” said Tim Flanegin, who operates the site.

“You know, there is an interesting paradox in the field of radiation monitoring. On the one hand, we might use a Geiger counter to perform a radiation scan of a suspected object or situation, and in a weird sort of way, we want a “hit” to confirm our fears, but on the other hand, if we don’t get a detection, some of us are understandably a little disappointed. But in that case, of course, we should instead breathe a sigh of relief.

Views: 129

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

tjdavis favorited Burbia's video
4 hours ago
tjdavis posted a photo
4 hours ago
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's photo
16 hours ago
cheeki kea posted a photo
16 hours ago
rlionhearted_3 posted a photo
17 hours ago
Sandy posted photos
21 hours ago
james will posted a blog post

how to doanload mp3 online?

An MP3 downloader is a useful online tool that allows users to convert and download their favorite…See More
yesterday
Doc Vega commented on rlionhearted_3's photo
Thumbnail

Another incredibly Stupid!! What, no mirrors?

"Personally , I go for the more classic forms of cosmetic surgery! "
Tuesday
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Tuesday
Less Prone favorited tjdavis's video
Tuesday
Less Prone commented on rlionhearted_3's photo
Thumbnail

Another incredibly Stupid!! What, no mirrors?

"When the problem is inside, it causes transformations like this. I like the original better. Maybe…"
Tuesday
Less Prone favorited james will's blog post YouTube Downloader Tools You Never Knew Existed
Tuesday
james will posted a blog post

YouTube Downloader Tools You Never Knew Existed

A YouTube downloader is an online tool or software that helps convert YouTube videos into…See More
Tuesday
tjdavis posted a video

Experimenter - Official Trailer

Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/experimenterfilmYale University, 1961. Stanley Milgram (Peter Sarsgaard) designs a psychology experiment that stil...
Tuesday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

How Did the Soviets First Discover the SR-71 Blackbird?

Although President Lydon Johnson announced the development of the Lockheed SR-71 in 1964 which…See More
Sunday
Doc Vega commented on Burbia's blog post Disgraced Former CNN Anchor Don Lemon Arrested
"Personally, I don't consider Don Lemon or people like him to be journalists at all. They are…"
Sunday
tjdavis posted photos
Sunday
tjdavis favorited Doc Vega's blog post The Forbidden Canyon and It’s Residents
Sunday
tjdavis posted a video

The Farmer vs the Billionaire — Jeremy Clarkson Says NO to Bill Gates’ £100 Million Deal | UK News

OFFICIAL NOTICE: This channel is NOT Jeremy Clarkson, is not affiliated with him, and does not represent his official views or Diddly Squat Farm. This is an ...
Sunday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

The Forbidden Canyon and It’s Residents

 Chapter OneSituated 10 miles from Mount Jefferson in the Oregon wilderness a forest researcher…See More
Saturday

© 2026   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted