Low, non-threatening levels of radiation were found on a cargo ship in the Port of Tacoma, the state Health Department told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.
The Hyundai Oakland from Shanghai arrived early Tuesday morning in Tacoma. Overnight, the ship was moved up to the Port of Seattle to continue offloading its cargo.
The Coast Guard boarded the ship on Tuesday as a routine security measure, and found increased levels of radiation in the engine's air filter.
The Department of Health then inspected the ship. The air filter was changed and the ship was able to continue on.
State Department of Health said the very low levels of radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant are not harmful to human health.
The Coast Guard said the closest the ship came to Japan was 250 miles.
The Coast Guard said it is the first ship to arrive in Puget Sound with radiation since the nuclear disaster.
Tests showed the radiation was detected only in the engine room air filter -- not anywhere else on the ship.
An expert with the state Department of Health told reporter Graham Johnson the finding was expected because of the radiation that has spread from the nuclear plant across the ocean and the enormous size of the filter on the ship.
Since the earthquake, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been screening all cargo arriving from Japan for radiation.
The Hyundai Oakland from Shanghai arrived early Tuesday morning in Tacoma. Overnight, the ship was moved up to the Port of Seattle to continue offloading its cargo.
The Coast Guard boarded the ship on Tuesday as a routine security measure, and found increased levels of radiation in the engine's air filter.
The Department of Health then inspected the ship. The air filter was changed and the ship was able to continue on.
State Department of Health said the very low levels of radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant are not harmful to human health.
The Coast Guard said the closest the ship came to Japan was 250 miles.
The Coast Guard said it is the first ship to arrive in Puget Sound with radiation since the nuclear disaster.
Tests showed the radiation was detected only in the engine room air filter -- not anywhere else on the ship.
An expert with the state Department of Health told reporter Graham Johnson the finding was expected because of the radiation that has spread from the nuclear plant across the ocean and the enormous size of the filter on the ship.
Since the earthquake, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been screening all cargo arriving from Japan for radiation.