ARPANSA has been closely monitoring and assessing the nuclear situation in Japan following the 11 March earthquake and tsunami, including the potential exposure to radiation of people and goods travelling from Japan to Australia.

The Maritime Union of Australia and others have expressed concerns that vessels containing vehicles being shipped from Japan to Australia may be contaminated with radioactive material arising from the Fukushima nuclear accident. These concerns have risen after the discovery of low levels of radioactivity in cars shipped from Yokohama to other countries.

On Thursday 23 June 2011, officials from ARPANSA carried out radiation monitoring on a shipment of cars carried on the vessel Trans Future 7 when it docked at Port Kembla, on route from the port of Yokohama, Japan.

ARPANSA conducted radiation monitoring for potential contamination on a total of 102 cars, including 53 used cars, which was part of a consignment of 800 cars, using portable handheld radiation (gamma-ray) dose rate monitors and (beta/gamma) contamination monitors. ARPANSA monitored external and internal surfaces of these vehicles.

The measured radiation dose rates were within the normal range of background radiation and the contamination monitor count rates did not exceed the background count rate of the monitor.

Prior to their departure, the ARPANSA officials briefed the stevedore crew and the local union representative on the monitoring results that no contamination had been detected.

Information on background radiation is available from the ARPANSA website at: www.arpansa.gov.au/radiationprotection/factsheets/is_rad.cfm.

ARPANSA continues to advise that at this point in time it is not considered necessary to introduce any radiation screening measures for mail, sea or air cargo, or aircraft arriving from Japan. This is consistent with the approach being taken in a number of other countries, such as the UK, Canada and New Zealand.

The Japanese Government and industry have established processes for monitoring of goods exported from Japan. The radiation protection criteria used for this contamination screening is consistent with Australian and international guidance.

The ARPANSA continues to coordinate with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) to ensure that food imported from the affected areas within Japan does not pose a risk to health (see ARPANSA’s website www.arpansa.gov.au/News/MediaReleases/JapanAdvisory.cfm).

ARPANSA will continue to coordinate with Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Customs and Border Protection and other Government Agencies on the transport of goods into Australia to ensure the Australian public is adequately protected.