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| Exhibit 1. Simulation System: Courtisy of NOAA |
| Exhibit1. is our own calculation created by using NOAA’s OSCURS program, which highlights areas that show the current location of the tsunami debris as of Feb. 21, 2012, 348 days after the tsunami occurred. |
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What we are currently working?: |
We are currently collecting information and preparing to recieve instructions from scientific research organizations and government related research centers in order to establish a safe method for handling the tsunami debris, because tsunami related debris have the possibility of radioactive contamination from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.(*6)
We will keep close contact with NOAA and the EPA to find latest developments about cleanup methods and available procedures on how volunteers can become involved. We will also introduce any new progress we make on this website.
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What is Project "Saving Memories": |
The huge amount of debris accumulated by the tsunami of March 11, 2011 in Japan is traveling east of the northern pacific at a faster speed than was initially estimated. According to the MOE (Ministry of Environment) of Japan、the estimated figure of tsunami related marine debris will be around 25 million tons.
Exhibit1. is our own calculation created by using NOAA’s OSCURS program, which highlights areas that show the current location of the tsunami debris as of Jan. 22, 2012, 318 days after the tsunami occurred.
Debris may reach Hawaii in early 2012 and to the Pacific Northwest anytime between late 2012 to early 2013. However, debris will continue to wash ashore beaches during the course of the following two to three years after the initial hit to those alarmed regions.
As an organization periodically researching how marine debris from Asia arrive to the Pacific Northwest using our exit and arrival surveys, we will start a program to find the actual impact of Tsunami debris to the beaches of the Pacific Northwest.
Since we have research and outreach functions both in the State of Washington and in Miyako Island, Japan, we are able to provide information regarding those arrival situations in Japanese on our Japanese website for their reference.Effectively utilizing our platform functions and capabilities, we decided to serve families and individuals in Japan by helping them find pieces of memories that they have lost of loved one’s through the tragedy.
The concept of “Saving Memories” is to return any identified items to families if found in the North Pacific Ocean during research activities at beaches of the Pacific Northwest or the Hawaiian Islands.
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We listed three (3) of the most highly identifiable items possibly to reach the US coast: |
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Plastic pencil cases of students. (Size: 20 to 22cm x 4 to 8cm) |
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School shoes of kindergarten or elementary school children. (Size: 14cm to 25cm) |
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Water Bottle (canteen) for school excursion (Size: 20 to 25cm x 6 to 8cm) |
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How the “Saving Memories” project works: |
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We will make contact with organizations conducting marine debris research and ask for their cooperation to help provide us with any information regarding memory items. |
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If any organizations have found relevant items in the course of research activities on Northern Pacific, please send us a few images by email. The image should include the most identifiable parts, such as the name of the owner as shown on images (in most cases, the name is hand written with black permanent marker), the logo, the size, or any other distinguishable parts along with the time and place found.
Please be sure to check whether the item is contaminated with radiation. (*6) |
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If the item is not contaminated or have successfully completed the decontamination process, we will send your information to all newspapers and TV stations of the three prefectures that were heavily damaged by tsunamithrough e-mail to ask them to find the owner. We will also introduce information on our exclusive website. |
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If we find the owner or owner’s family who would like to recover the item, we will ask organizations to send the item to our office in Redmond, Washington. |
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We will send the item to Japan with all the information, along with the finder’s contact information in case the received family would like to write back. |
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Regarding Radioactive Contamination:
Although we do not know the level of radioactive contamination on the tsunami debris, some may possibly be contaminated with radiation from the Fukushima nuclear power generator’s meltdowns. Especially high volumes of radiation would come from strontium Sr-90, which has a physical half-life of 29 years and a longer biological half-life of 50 years. Sr-90, as well as other radioactive elements, has been released into the north Pacific current system from Fukushima 2 and 3.
We need to handle debris under the special instruction of authorities. We ask that general beach clean up groups do not join this “Saving Memories” project until NOAA, the EPA, or other federal and state regulations are set about safe removal procedure guidelines. |
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