As U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials screen sea and air traffic from Japan for radiation, the Federal Aviation Administration is “actively coordinating” with Japanese authorities to ensure international flight paths are well clear of the country’s damaged nuclear reactors.
“Out of an abundance of caution, CBP has issued field guidance reiterating its operational protocols and directing field personnel to specifically monitor maritime and air traffic from Japan,” read a statement obtained by FoxNews.com. The CPB referred to its use of “several types of radiation detection equipment in its operations at both air and sea ports” to assess safety risks “that are identified with inbound travelers and cargo.”
Should travelers show signs of radiation sickness, the CBP will refer them to health authorities for “appropriate treatment,” the statement said.
The Obama administration said Thursday that radiation leaking from the Japanese nuclear complex does not present a danger to the western United States or its Pacific territories at this time.
“I want to stress this is a prudent and precautionary measure to take,” Gregory Jaczko, chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, told a White House briefing.
Capt. Sam Mayer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, which represents more than 10,000 American Airlines pilots, said extra fuel is being added to U.S. flights from Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and New York to Japan in case emergency diversions are necessary.
“In terms of actual radiation, they’re putting together flight patterns to keep them well-clear of any potential hazardous areas and they’re putting extra gas on the planes,” Mayer said. “A lot can happen while the plane is airborne.”
Mayer said he’s monitoring the situation “minute by minute” and that contingency plans are in place should it take a turn for the worse.
“We have a plan to get everybody out of the area quickly and get them back here,” he said. “The only thing we’ve been told is that the FAA is working with Japan counterparts to develop these [contingency] models.”
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