More than 70 Radiation-Stricken U.S. Sailors Sue Fukushima Plant Operator

Thursday, January 02, 2014
USS Ronald Reagan washdown after Fukushima

At least 71 U.S. Navy personnel are suing the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant for exposing them to harmful levels of radiation following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

 

The sailors became exposed to radiation leaking from the crippled power plant when their ships arrived off Japan’s coast to provide humanitarian assistance. They remained in the area for four days.

 

The American men and women say they are suffering from radiation exposure and numerous health problems brought on by the exposure. These include leukemia, testicular cancer, gynecological bleeding and thyroid diseases.

 

Their attorney, Paul Garner, says that at least half of the plaintiffs have some form of cancer.

 

Senior Chief Michael Sebourn, a radiation-decontamination officer on board the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, told the New York Post that radiation levels in the air were far above normal, and at one point eclipsed 300 times the safety limit.

 

Exposure was both air-borne and water-borne, according to the lawsuit.

 

At one point, radioactive snow—created by the mixing of contaminated steam from the nuclear plant with cold Pacific Ocean air—fell on the ships, exposing sailors topside.

 

But the seawater surrounding the vessels was also radioactive as a result of coolant leaks at Fukushima. That water was drawn into the Ronald Reagan’s desalinization system, which provides water for drinking and bathing by the crew.

 

“We were probably floating in contaminated water without knowing it for a day and a half before we got hit by that plume,” Lindsay Cooper, whose career as a third-class petty officer ended five months after the disaster for health reasons, told the Post.

 

She added that the radiation exposure crippled her thyroid, making it “so out of whack that I can lose 60 to 70 pounds in one month and then gain it back the next. My menstrual cycle lasts for six months at a time, and I cannot get pregnant. It’s ruined me.”

 

By the time the crew realized the water they were using was contaminated, the radioactive plume had hit and they were unable to maneuver the aircraft carrier to outrun it. Japan refused them entry at port, and they were turned away by both Guam and South Korea. The ship floated at sea in the radioactive waters for two-and-a-half months, during which time the sailors became increasingly ill. They were finally allowed to make port in Thailand.

 

Decontamination officer Sebourn—who previously worked as a personal trainer—has suffered severe effects from the radiation, including nosebleeds, headaches, shrunken limbs, and the loss of 60% use of the right side of his body. “I’ve had four MRIs, and I’ve been to 20 doctors,” he told the Post. “No one can figure out what is wrong.” He has since retired from the Navy.

 

“This [lawsuit] isn’t about financial gain,” Cooper told the newspaper. “This is about what’s going to happen while I’m sick, and then after I’m gone. I worry because I have a daughter. And I’m so sick.”

 

The sailors’ lawsuit was filed against the Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates the Fukushima power plant.

-Noel Brinkerhoff, Danny Biederman

 

To Learn More:

Navy Sailors have Radiation Sickness after Japan Rescue (by Laura Italiano and Kerry Murtha, New York Post)

70+ USS Ronald Reagan Crew Members, Half Suffering From Cancer, to Sue TEPCO For Fukushima Radiation Poisoning (by Brandon Baker, EcoNews)

8 U.S. Sailors Stationed in San Diego Sue Japanese for Lying about Radiation at Fukushima Plant (by Noel Brinkerhoff and David Wallechinsky, AllGov)

Comments

John Doe 10 years ago
Mike Sebourn is a liar. I knew him when he was stationed at Atsugi Naval Base in 2012. He was booted out of the Navy for having an affair, i.e. Captain's Mast. Also, he was boxing Muay Thai in 2012 and had an amateur bout in Tokyo. He had NO physical problems then and he still boxes now so I'm assuming he isn't crawling out of bed every morning. This is a shameful money grab...
RJSpeaks 10 years ago
Thank you both for the new sources to check out, we will definitely be looking into this much further. We are saddened and disgusted that this has happened to our men and women who are putting their lives in harms way; the length of time that they were unable to port is ridiculous. And the fact that this isn't in every social media outlet, is very disturbing. This should be Top News and we all need to be doing something productive about our demolished ocean!
Roger Witherspoon 10 years ago
For more extensive background, especially the government's refusal to provide medical care, see Energy Matters series: A Lasting Legacy of Fukushima Part 1 - http://bit.ly/12dzbLe Contamination of American Sailors Part 2 - http://bit.ly/Y5jXCJ Into the Abyss Part 3 -- http://bit.ly/VWSmFm Cat and Mouse with a Nuclear Ghost Part 4 -- http://bit.ly/XGCgDp Living With the Aftermath
Dee 10 years ago
ENENEWS.com has been reporting on this story of sailors on the USS Reagan and has several articles and interviews of the sailors.

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