Akhir 10, 1432 H/March 15, 2011, SPA -- A US aircraft carrier stationed in Japan about 320 kilometres from the troubled Fukushima nuclear power plant has detected low levels of radiation, dpa quoted the US Navy as saying Tuesday. The levels detected by the USS George Washington, which is docked in Yokosuka, posed no danger to the public, said Rear Admiral Richard Wren, the commander of US naval forces in Japan. Nevertheless, he urged US personnel on the base to stay indoors as much as possible. "There is no appreciable health risk, and we are being very conservative in our recommendations," he said. Wren said the levels were less than one month's worth of natural exposure produced by the sun and other sources. Japanese authorities were scrambling to prevent a meltdown at the Fukushima plant, which was severely damaged by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that shook Japan on Friday and killed thousands of people. The US Navy on Monday determined that 17 sailors stationed in the USS Ronald Reagan battlegroup, which was providing humanitarian assistance closer to the Fukushima plant, had been exposed to low levels of radiation. They were scrubbed and there were no indications of additional contamination. The Reagan group relocated to a safer areas to conduct its humanitarian mission.
