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The spill and spread of industrial chemicals across the coastlineof British Columbia is a possibility as slower-moving tsunamidebris from Japan approaches the west coast, according to expertsobserving its movements. The risk of chemical contamination is sizable, especiallyconsidering that many of the tsunami-affected areas on the Japanesecoast were industrial and used many different types of toxicchemicals in manufacturing operations. "[Chemical contamination] could be a real threat," said Dr. M.Sanjayan, the lead scientist at conservation group the NatureConservancy. "For example, it's very hard to imagine how 50 drums[filled] with something could all show up at the same time, unlessit's an event like this. That's where it can be a little dangerous. "Finding one drum of, say, paint thinner, or something you mightfind in your garage, it's not hugely toxic. But if you find 50 ofthem all washed up on a rocky shore and then breaking and leaking,then you have some problems." The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) isone of the few organizations keeping tabs on debris movement,constructing models that attempt to predict the movement of thedebris as it follows ocean currents. It is also handling cleanupefforts in the U.S. Dianna Parker of the NOAA notes that the majority of the debris isheavier and slower-moving than the more buoyant items that havebeen found on coastlines in recent months. Objects that ride high,such as plastic containers, bottles and buoys, travel much fasterthan intact and possibly dangerous industrial chemical containers.The bulk of the debris pulled out to sea by the tsunami is stillsuspended north of the main Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific. Sanjayan says that both the Canadian and U.S. governments could domore in terms of developing a plan for coastal communities in casetoxic debris washes ashore. "If one tiny community got hit, itcould wipe out their tourism industry for the year or it could wipeout their fishing for a year." Radioactivity Concern about industrial chemicals washed out to sea by the March2011 tsunami was previously overshadowed by the fear that some ofthe debris could be radioactive, but that has eased. The tsunami damaged emergency generators at the Fukushima Daiichinuclear plant, causing a loss of coolant and partial meltdown ofsome reactors. Internal explosions then fractured containmentvessels, leading to a radioactive leak that continues to this day. 'One thing that's all but certain is that radioactivity will not bea big player in whatever does arrive.' Kathryn Higley, Oregon State University In the United States and Canada, possible radioactive elements infloating debris became a pressing issue as experts began warningthat objects would begin to arrive on North American shores by theend of 2011 and continue to do so well into 2013. However, expertshave since played down the dangers of such an event occurring. Sanjayan said that any radioactivity making landfall is unlikely,mainly due to the great distances and the amount of time of beingexposed to water, which blocks and dilutes the radiation. "So I don't really think that's a big danger," he said. "Most ofthe debris got sent out in the first wave; the reactor didn'tbreach and radioactivity didn't happen until many hours and dayslater [when most of the debris was already gone]." Kathryn Higley, the head of the department of nuclear engineeringand radiation health physics at Oregon State University, concursthat the risk of radiation is unlikely, saying that "it is possiblethat some radioactive material remains [however,] allexpectations are that it will be hugely diluted because of saltwater. "One thing that's all but certain is that radioactivity will not bea big player in whatever does arrive." Human remains Curt Ebbesmeyer, co-creator of the Ocean Surface Current Simulator,believes that based on updated models, the amount of tsunami debrisarriving on the west coast of North America is expected to peak inOctober 2012. However, junk and debris might not be the only thing washing up onshore, as he told a tsunami symposium in Port Angeles, Wash., onMay 21. Acknowledging a grisly truth, Ebbesmeyer believes that theremains of people washed out to sea in the disaster may also makelandfall over the next year. "We're expecting 100 sneakers with bones in them," he told theaudience. Ebbesmeyer emphasized that beachcombers should try to show respectfor any remains that they find, as "that may be the only remainsthat a Japanese family is ever going to have of their people thatwere lost." Debris pattern The Nature Conservancy and the NOAA believe that publicitysurrounding the debris field will bring attention to the fact thatocean-going debris from the tsunami merely added to an ever-growingpile of junk accumulating in the Pacific and on shorelines. Theestimated five million tonnes of debris from the Japanese tsunamirepresents less than one per cent of what's already out there inthe Pacific. "The key thing is not to put more single-use plastics anddisposable items into the ocean," says Sanjayan, pointing out that"80 per cent of [trash] comes from landfills and land-basedsources. For me, that's a much bigger issue, and [the debris] willprobably raise people's awareness of it." It's not clear how closely the debris will be monitored in thecoming months, as governments in both the United States and Canadahave, for the most part, put the issue on the back burner.According to Sanjayan, after a boost to its funding following theinitial shock of the disaster last year, this year's $5 millionNOAA budget could be trimmed by up to 25 per cent, a possibleindication that decision-makers have been persuaded that issue isnot pressing enough to warrant a continuing response. However, the province, federal government, local governments andvolunteers have joined together to co-ordinate cleanup effortsthrough a Tsunami Debris Co-ordinating Committee. They havecompiled detailed FAQs to address any concerns, but ask that ifanyone finds tsunami debris that appears to be personal effectsthat they contact the NOAA at DisasterDebris@noaa.gov to return it to its appropriate owner. 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