Concerned officials now considering ban on Japan food

items — Nuclear scientists previously told gov’t to halt all

imports after finding high radiation levels — Never

implemented due to fear of hurting bilateral relationship

Published: April 19th, 2014 at 2:45 pm ET

By ENENews

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The Nation, Apr. 18, 2014: Pakistan may ban Japan edible items [...] in case if traces of

radioactive material are found on them. Federal Minister of Commerce Khurum Dastgeer

Khan told the Senate on Thursday, currently the Ministry of National Food Security and

Research is tasked to conduct thorough research to determine either the edible items from

Japan were infected by radioactive rays or not. [...] Senator Suriya Amiruddin who was

interested to know whether there is any proposal under consideration of the Government to

impose ban on import of edible items from Japan to avoid negative effect of radiation in those

items. [...] in April 2011, Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority had directed authorities

dealing with Cargo arriving directly or indirectly from Japan to screen all types of

consignments including edible/non-edible, for radiation. [...] The directives were issued from

the country’s well-reputed institution Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority [...] The PNRA

made clearance mandatory for every consignment being imported from Japan. It is worthy of

mentioning here that country’s nuclear scientists had advised the federal government three

years back to halt all types of goods from Japan to minimize the threat of radiation following

the Fukushima Nuclear Crisis in Japan. The scientists

had advised the government after they detected high level of Iodine from the consignments

imported from Japan. [...] in view that the move to ban imports from Japan may hurt bilateral

relationship between the two friendly countries, the Pakistani government never imposed ban

on import of goods from Japan.

Khurum Dastgeer Khan, Federal Minister of Commerce: “Concerned officials have been

advised to investigate the matter relating to import of edible items from Japan following the

incident of radioactivity in Japan. It is up to Ministry of Food Security and Research to advise

Ministry of Commerce to continue import of edible items from Japan or impose ban on it.”

SOURCE http://enenews.com/concerned-officials-now-consideingr-ban-on-japan-food-

items-nuclear-scientists-previously-told-govt-to-halt-all-imports-after-finding-high-radiation-

levels-never-implemented-due-to-fear-of-hur

See also: Award-winning project finds seafood sold in Canada with high radiation levels --

Many samples well over contamination limit -- "Incredible discovery; Something unexpected

may be lurking in Canadian waters" -- Believes dangerous Fukushima pollution carried

across ocean -- "I hope people will open their eyes"

Published: April 19th, 2014 at 2:45 pm ET

By ENENews

Email Article

84 comments

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New Conference with Allison Macfarlane, Chairman of the Nuclear

Regulatory Commission. (on the lighter side)

Question: We just heard that Pakistan's nuclear scientists had advised the federal government three

years back to halt all types of goods from Japan to minimize the threat of radiation following the

Fukushima Nuclear Crisis in Japan due to increased levels of radioactive iodine detected in their

food. How do you read that?

Allison: Pakistan? Is that a country? (her aide whispering in her ear). Oh, that country.

Well, let me just say, and I want to be perfectly clear on this point, if, and I use the word "if" with

utmost seriousness, if it were necessary for the United States to test Japan's food to determine if it

was radioactive we would have done so. But we have not done so. So you see there is absolutely

nothing to worry about. No cause for concern. I give you my personal assurance that I myself still eat

Tuna caught not just off Japan but anywhere in the Pacific Ocean. Yes. Right off the West coast as

well. It tastes fine to me. And I still eat sushi. So I just want to say we have the very best relationship

with our ally Japan and by gum you ain't going to change that by talking about what third world

nations like Pakistan are doing or not doing. Like who gives a shit anyway about Pakistan. Pakistan,

gees. And that goes for those Ukrainian invading Russians. Just because they ban a few cars from

Japan that have high radiation levels doesn't mean you should have any concern at all about

Japanese made cars being radioactive. I mean, what would Putin know? He may be able to fool

storks into following him but I don't think that qualifies him to advise our great nation on things like

radiation. Next question.

Question: What about all the U.S. sailors now suffering from radiation poisoning after being down

wind of the Fukushima reactor explosions?

Allison: Sailors. Nonsense. There are no U.S. sailors suffering from radiation sickness otherwise my

very good friend, Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy named by President Obama, and former

ambassador to Saudi Arabia where he help secure a $16 billion contract for Boeing, a good man I tell

you. He would have let me know about any radiation. But he never called me once. And I haven't

lost any email I want you to know. I back up all my email just in case the Senate wants to know what

I do each day. You won't have to subpoena my email. I am happy to send it to any Senator who asks

for it which I am required to do under statutory law. We actually have IT support here at the NRC. I

mean we pay them to come in and do their job. That is part of their job, right? See that we don't lose

email. Next question.

Question: We have reports now that the Fukushima disaster in Japan has released radioactive

materials into the environment over the entire Northern Hemisphere. In fact, a few doctors in Tokyo

are now saying they are seeing so many cases of radiation sickness that Tokyo itself must be

evacuated.

Allison: Now look, Shinzo Abe, the prime minster of Japan, is also a very good friend of mine. We

spoke on the phone at length over any possible spread of radiation either by wind or by sea and he

assured me that there is no contamination going on.

Just so I am perfectly clear on this point, the International Olympic Committee has selected Tokyo as

the site for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Clearly, the IOC would not have done so if there had been

any doubt about the safety of this location for future athletes. As Japan's leading scientists have

stated: the 2011 nuclear accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant does not pose a threat to

Tokyo's ability to host the Olympic Games. "The water in Tokyo is safe, and we have released this

data on our website. The radiation levels are no different than in London or Paris."

That is all the questions I am taking for now. I have a golf game with the President I need to get to.

Thank you all for your patience and attention.