Estimated 14,000 US Deaths Related to Fukushima Meltdown

That headline is disturbing, since I assumed like nearly everyone that the Fukushima disaster was strictly a Japanese problem. Not so according to a scientific study published in the December edition of the International Journal of Health Services.

Six days after the reactor meltdown, scientists detected a toxic plume of radioactive fallout on American soil.  Measurements by the EPA showed levels of radioactive iodine in water and milk rose to hundreds of times the normal levels.  The results?  An estimated 14,000 deaths, mostly of infants.

Want proof?  Well the Centers for Disease control monitors deaths nationwide to spot trends and epidemics.  Normally the rate is about 2.34% per 100,000 people.  During the 14 weeks following Fukushima that total rose to 4.46%.  That makes an excess of deaths of about 14,000.  By the way, an estimated 16,500 Americans died from Chernobyl, another figure you might not have heard.

Now, next time someone tells you that nuclear power is a safe alternative, ask them how many Americans died from Nuclear accidents.  They will not have a number, but you will!