WASHINGTON – More U.S. military crews were exposed to radiation Tuesday as they ramped up relief flights over Japan, and Americans on two military bases south of Tokyo were advised to stay indoors as much as possible.
Meanwhile, U.S. aviation and energy officials also worked with Japanese counterparts on the nuclear crisis set in motion by last week’s earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan.
With more aid for victims on the way, the U.S. Navy said it was redirecting three ships to work in the Sea of Japan on the country’s west coast rather than risk the hazards of radiation and the debris field in the waters off the east coast.
Sensitive air monitoring equipment on the aircraft carrier USS George Washington detected low levels of radioactivity from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant as the carrier sat pier-side at Yokosuka, Cmdr. Jeff Davis, a spokesman for the U.S. 7th Fleet, said Tuesday.
While he said there was no danger to the public, the commander recommended military personnel and their families at Yokosuka and Naval Air Facility Atsugi limit their outdoor activities and seal ventilation systems at their homes as much as possible.