Click here to visit the Clearwater Calender page to see additional events commemorating the 2nd anniversary of the Fukushima-Daiichi disaster in Japan
Former Navy Navigators Talk about Radiation Contamination on the USS Ronald Reagan during the Crisis at Fukushima, Japan and its Effect on their Lives
“Fukushima Fallout”, with special guests former Navy navigators, Jaime Plym and Maurice Enis, who will talk about their personal experiences with radiation contamination while they served on the USS Ronald Reagan during the crisis at Fukushima, Japan in March of 2011 and the effect on their lives. The conference takes place on Sunday, March 10, at 2:00 PM at Stony Point Conference Center, 17 Crickettown Road, Stony Point, New York. The public is invited and encouraged to attend this free and informative event and to hear this remarkable story about serving in Japan during the Fukushima Daiichi disaster and the subsequent health effects of radiation exposure.
Plym and Enis both served as navigators on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan during March 2011 when the northeast coast of Japan was destroyed by earthquake and tsunami. Their ship led a US Navy deployment, “Operation Tomodachi” – the Japanese word for “friendship” – to help our ally in the aftermath of this natural catastrophe, which later became a nuclear disaster.
As navigators, Plym and Enis plotted the course of the aircraft carrier. During the deployment, the USS Ronald Reagan was two miles off the coast of Japan near Fukushima during the worst of the uncontrolled radiological release. Jaime describes playing a “cat and mouse game” with radiological releases so that the ship could avoid contamination. The decks were scrubbed with ocean water, which was later found to contain radioactive isotopes from the stricken reactors. The ship’s water came from a desalination plant on board, which was also contaminated. At one point, Maurice was sent to collect the ship’s flag, and ultimately set off shipboard radiation monitors because his hands were so contaminated.
The USS Ronald Reagan’s deployment lasted for 80 days and the ship was later sent to dry dock for radiological decontamination.
Today, both Enis and Plyme suffer from symptoms they believe are related to their exposure to radiation. Recently released transcripts of meetings held at the time show high levels of concern by officials for contamination of the Yokosuka Naval Base, 188 miles away. US dependents from the base were in fact evacuated.
At 5:00 PM a potluck will be held to welcome Peace Walkers, who will arrive from Indian Point. The 12th Annual Walk for a New Spring, for the People, for the Earth began on February 15, at Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor in Burlington, VT, and will continue from Indian Point to New York City, Jersey City, Staten Island and Oyster Creek nuclear power plant located in Toms River, New Jersey. There will be a culminating ceremony held on April 3 in Washington, DC. All are welcome and invited to join the walk as it passes through their community and walk for as long or as little as is comfortable. Click here for the Peace Walk schedule. To join or support the walk, call 413-485-8469 or 413-320-2856, or visit www.newenglandpeacepagoda.org for more information.
At 6:15 PM that evening there will be a screening of Cold Shut Down: One Year After, followed by a discussion with director, Professor Martin Lucas of Hunter College about his experience in filming the people living with radiation in the area surrounding the destroyed nuclear reactors at Fukushima.
Clearwater, along with The Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition, the Indian Point Convergence, and other grassroots and environmental groups, has partnered to sponsor this conference.
All are welcome to this free and informative event. Please bring a covered dish to share. Those who can are invited to bring extra food to help feed the Peace Walkers. Donations are welcome. Participants are encouraged to register for this event at www.stonypointcenter.org, or for more information, contact Manna Jo Greene at 845-265-8080 x 7113, or MannaJo@Clearwater.org.
