Contact Information

  • Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Gregoire�s statement on Japan disaster

For Immediate Release: March 17, 2011

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today issued the following statement on the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant concerns in Japan:

�My heart continues to be with the nation of Japan as we watch in sorrow the devastation brought to that country. Washington state and Japan have a long relationship and a deep friendship, and I ask all Washingtonians to join me in keeping those affected by this terrible tragedy in our thoughts and prayers.

�I realize there are concerns about radioactivity reaching Washington state due to the impacts of the tsunami on the nuclear reactors in Japan. I want Washingtonians to know that both our federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission and our state Department of Health have assured me that they don�t expect significant levels of radioactivity in our state, which means there is no health risk to Washingtonians.

�The Department of Health routinely monitors air samples for radiation around the state. Since last Friday when the reactors in Japan began to fail, we�ve stepped-up our air monitoring and have seen no readings above what is normal for our state. In Japan, the radiation releases have not reached the upper atmosphere where the jet streams might blow contamination toward the U.S. and Washington. Even if the radiation does reach the upper atmosphere, the combination of wind, rain, and dispersion will dilute the radioactive material to very low levels.

�I urge you to follow the advice of our Department of Health: Do not take potassium iodide. It is not needed and can cause side effects.

�Additionally, I have been in contact with Energy Northwest, which operates the Columbia Generating Station in the Tri-Cities. I have been assured that the nuclear facility there has undergone the required structural integrity and leak rate tests to ensure it will withstand a powerful earthquake or other disaster. And it was intentionally sited three miles inland from the Columbia River to avoid any potential flood scenarios. Over the next month, the Columbia Generating Station will be joining every nuclear facility in the U.S., and conducting a series of safety reviews and inspections to ensure the facility can respond to power outages, floods, fires and other significant events.

�I applaud the President for asking the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to learn from Japan�s tragedy and ensure that we are constantly upgrading how we approach our nuclear safety in this country.�

For more information on the public health risks, the Department of Health has a list of frequently asked questions at: http://www.doh.wa.gov/Topics/japan-faq.htm