U.S. radiation levels from Japan very low

WASHINGTON, April 5 (UPI) -- Though air monitors in the United States recovered more nuclear material from a crippled Japanese nuclear plant, there is no U.S. health concern, the EPA said.

Radiation levels near Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant are well above normal and officials have begun dumping tons of water that had been used to cool the reactors into the sea. A magnitude-9 earthquake followed by a tsunami struck northeastern Japan March 11, causing major damage to a series of nuclear sectors in the area.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said increased monitoring of air, precipitation and milk detected "very low levels" of radioactive material from Japan in U.S. samples.

"The detections in air, precipitation and milk were expected and the levels detected have been far below levels of public-health concern," the agency said in a statement.

Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said safety standards and full transparency are necessary to restore public trust in nuclear power.

"The immediate priority is to overcome the crisis and stabilize the reactors," he said in a statement. "But we must also begin the process of reflection and evaluation."

Amano added that the situation at Japan's damaged nuclear plant is "very serious."