U.S. relief crews exposed to radiation in Japan

17 members of a Navy crew required decontamination after search and rescue missions

Published March 15, 2011 3:20PM (EDT)

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers, mobilized to wash away radioactive material emitted from a nuclear power plant damaged by Friday's earthquake, put on protective gear on their arrival in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Tuesday, March 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE (AP)
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers, mobilized to wash away radioactive material emitted from a nuclear power plant damaged by Friday's earthquake, put on protective gear on their arrival in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Tuesday, March 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE (AP)

More U.S. military crews are being exposed to radiation as they press ahead with relief flights over Japan.

And the Navy said Tuesday that it's sending some ships to operate off the country's west coast rather than east coast. That's to avoid hazards from the huge debris field left in the ocean by last week's tsunami and to be farther away from radiation leaking from troubled nuclear power reactors.

The Navy said Monday that 17 helicopter crew members had to be decontaminated after flying search and rescue missions. It said Tuesday that more crews were exposed to very low levels of radiation and had to be decontaminated after delivering food, water and blankets for victims of the earthquake and tsunami.


By Associated Press

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Japan Japan Earthquake Nuclear Power U.s. Military