Debris From Japan Hits North American Shores

The town of Tofino, British Columbia has had an abnormal amount of debris with Japanese writing washing on to its shore since earlier this week. Long time residents say this is not what they're used to seeing.

Tofino is located mid way up Vancouver Island, on the western shore.



Some experts say it's too early for this to be happening, which is what I thought as well. The claims of this being garbage from ships in the Pacific could be true since some of the debris had Chinese writing on it as well. The 50 pieces of lumber with Japanese writing on it has me sold though, in my opinion this could possibly be from Japan.

Please feel free to correct me if you have knowledge in ocean currents and think this isn't possible.

Debris from Japan's tsunami has already hit Vancouver Island shores -- a year-and-a-half early, according to oceanographers' predictions.

For the past few days, a variety of bottles, cans and even pieces of lumber with Japanese writing have been carried by currents and the wind up to Tofino.

A life-long Chesterman's Beach resident, Jean-Paul Froment, reports that there has been more debris than he has ever seen in past storms.

"Fisherman and friends have said they have found an unusual amount of bottles and items with Asian writing on it," said Froment.

Larger, heavier material is en route across the Pacific Ocean, according to Russian sailors who spotted the giant floating cluster -- including a Fukushima-marked fishing boat -- 2,700 kilometres east of Hawaii. The entire mass is estimated to cover an area twice the size of Texas.

Tofino mayor Perry Schmunk said the washed-up items carry more meaning than regular storm debris.

"We will treat the whole thing with respect because everything that has come ashore has dealt with a significant human tragedy," said Schmunk.

Scientists had estimated that debris from the March 11 disaster in Japan would hit Hawaii in early 2013 before crashing into the West Coast of North America.

Source

Has anyone heard of debris reaching North America?

Look what else I found:

Japan tsunami debris reaches Wash. coast

PORT ANGELES, Wash. (AP) -- Debris from the March tsunami in Japan has started reaching the West Coast. A large black float about the size of a 55-gallon drum was found two weeks ago by a crew cleaning a beach a few miles east of Neah Bay at the northwest tip of Washington state. The float traveled faster because it sits on top of the water and caught the wind.

200 million tons I heard a few months back. Its going go somewhere and I hate to even think of the possible crap it could contain. What a mess. This is far from over in so many many ways. s/f always C E Thanks

reply to post by CherubBaby


Combing the beach for Japan debris might be a new hobby on the west coast. Imagine the things you might find, I used to live on Vancouver Island and I would certainly go check it out. Regrettably the debris is a reminder of the radiation that has also made it's way from Japan.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


I bet there would be some unexpected things float up. I know that it is probably beyond the imagination actually.
I had also heard that the ocean was to have obsorbed over 79% of the radiation. I don't know if I would trust that figure in light of all that is taken place since that story broke a few months ago..

It is about 4,000 km from Hawaii to the continental US so that puts the debris seen by the Russian sailors well under 1,000 miles from the coast. I wonder how "hot" that stuff will be with the the fallout in the rain combined with what has been disposed of at sea. Or, did this get washed out ahead of that and following this is another wave of stuff that we cannot see?

reply to post by KaiserSoze


I'm not too sure if it's from a different "wave" of debris, but it has been washing up from Washington to B.C. My guess is that different piles of debris got caught in different ocean currents.

The evidence makes it kind of hard to deny that this would be from Japan, the estimates of how long it would take to get here must have been incorrect.

Originally posted by Corruption Exposed
reply to post by CherubBaby

 

Combing the beach for Japan debris might be a new hobby on the west coast. Imagine the things you might find, I used to live on Vancouver Island and I would certainly go check it out. Regrettably the debris is a reminder of the radiation that has also made it's way from Japan.

I would be wearing a hazmat suit if I were embarking on that particular hobby. Do you realize how much radiation leaked out of those reactors into the ocean and intermingled with that debris? I don't think we can even begin to imagine the truth as everything has been so hush-hush. That debris could very well be a permanent reminder - and I don't mean in any interesting or trivial way - since I would have to think that at least some of it is still radioactive. I'm certainly not an expert on such issues (thank goodness) so please feel free, anyone, to correct me if I'm wrong.

reply to post by timidgal


I agree that the radiation from Japan is nothing to underestimate, that being said, my logic in the matter is that most of the radiation is in the ocean. Once something is in the ocean it gets distributed throughout the world. The ocean currents carry it all over the place, and a whole lot of water evaporates from the ocean all the time, so this radiation is airborne. Going to the beach is no different than going for a hike on a country trail. The radiation knows no borders and can be found anywhere.

I hate to say it, but there is no escape.

The answer is YES...

Why do many people post threads as questions or possibilities when they already know the point that they're trying to drive home into our heads is anything but an actual question?

reply to post by Destiny777


I changed my title just for you

When I authored this thread, I wasn't aware of the debris washing up in Washington state. "Experts" were saying that the Tofino debris was most likely from a ship. I didn't want to definitively say that the debris was from Japan, but when debris with makings from Japan surfaces in other places, I knew it had to be from Japan.

I take it you don't like questions marks?

reply to post by Corruption Exposed

I completely (and regrettably) agree that there is no escape, but just so everyone is aware of the potential hazards, I dug a little deeper and found the following:

Source: ENENews Energy News Dated 12.14.2011

Paper: First Japan debris hits US, Canada — People warned about radiation — Recommended for Police to have Geiger counters — “Bodies will likely begin washing up in about a year”

The first piece of debris that could be identified as washing up on the West Coast from the March 11 tsunami in Japan — a large black float — was found on a Neah Bay beach two weeks ago, Seattle oceanographers Curtis Ebbesmeyer and Jim Ingraham said Tuesday night.

Since then, the two researchers [...] have learned that the black, 55-gallon drum-sized floats also have been found on Vancouver Island.

Ebbesmeyer on Debris Threat

About a quarter of the 100 million tons of debris from Japan is expected to make landfall on beaches from southern Alaska to California
Possibly in volumes large enough to clog ports
Flotsam in a current travels an average of seven miles per hour
Can move as much as 20 mph if it has a large area exposed to the wind
Many of those bodies and parts of bodies will likely begin washing up in about a year
Large items still in the water should be reported to the Coast Guard, as they may represent a hazard to boats and ships
Some shipping lanes have already been rerouted to avoid the worst of the debris

Ebbesmeyer on Radiation Contamination Threat

People should also be aware of the possibility of radiation contamination
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant leaked a large amount of radiation into the water
No one knows what levels of contamination there are in the currents, and the
[No one knows what levels of contamination there are in] items being carried in those currents
[Suggests] local police take steps to have sensitive Geiger counters available to scan items
The event was unprecedented, and no one knows yet what levels of radiation, if any, items have picked up

[b]Ebbesmeyer on Importance of Debris to Japanese

“All debris should be treated with a great reverence and respect”
Families in Japan are waiting to hear of any items that may have been associated with their loved ones
May travel to the U.S. to meet those who found these mementos
Rafts of debris include whole houses which may still contain many personal items
Japanese are known for storing important personal mementos in walls
Even the smallest of traceable items may be the only thing associated with one of those people who were lost
Contact Ebbesmeyer at [email protected] for assistance
“I have a translator to read things in Japanese”

reply to post by timidgal


I found another article from the same site:

Canada TV: Japan debris hits BC — Warned about radiation

Radiation Warning

He [?] warned cleanup crews and local officials should keep public safety in mind when handling and disposing of large objects

Possible they could still contain radioactive water

So according to this person, the debris can still contain radioactive water. I would have guessed that it would dilute on it's way across the pacific, but certain isotopes are still dangerous in very small amounts.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed

I guess this was a day when we both learned something new. What you said made practical sense but as the article stated, this was an event of unparalelled proportions. Hopefully anyone reading this will know to be leery of any debris if it washes up where they live...

It makes me wonder why they were so wrong about the estimation. They said it wasn't going to show up until 2013. This debris will pose a lot of problems.

reply to post by real_one


It just shows that they're not very good at predicting ocean currents.

What else could they be wrong about?

I don't know about bodies washing up or ashore, I mean wouldn't the ocean fishes eat them up first?

Originally posted by Corruption Exposed
reply to post by CherubBaby

 

Combing the beach for Japan debris might be a new hobby on the west coast. Imagine the things you might find, I used to live on Vancouver Island and I would certainly go check it out. Regrettably the debris is a reminder of the radiation that has also made it's way from Japan.

ya just imagine it.......

clothes, boats, wood, plastic bottles, other trash, maybe wallets or feet, other body parts, irradiated water dumped from fukushima.......... disease........ have fun with that

reply to post by pryingopen3rdeye


As I already pointed out, going to the beach is the same as living 500 miles in land. There is no escaping it. You're being foolish if you think there is a difference.

You can have the dead bodies and plastic bottles. I will take the air tight safes with money and jewelry in them. I have seen reports of the large amount of these safes floating around, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack but they're out there.

I see that you're in Oregon, you should take a trip to the beach

Dear Japan : Drop LIQUID NITROGEN & DRY ICE CO2 on your Fukushima nuke reactors NOW, Already, Please, Thank you. Why ? Shock cooling -- Smothering -- Formation of solid nitrides, nitrates, carbonates, &c... Duhhh... It worked @ Chernobyl ( Tons of Dry Ice CO2 dropped by helicopter ). Still can't figure it out ? Ask "Red" Adair : He used liquid nitrogen to extinguish oil well fires in Kuwait ( Pop. Sci., Jan 1991 ) Full Scale Japan Syndrome ( Meltdown + Denial = National Murder-Suicide ) in progress ! Soon the "Tread" will come off Japan ...