Debris From Japan Hit Alaska

An estimated five million tons of debris—including cars, boats, houses, and buoys were washed away from Japan following the massive 9.0 earthquake that hit on March 11, 2011. In fourteen months, the rubble has drifted across the Pacific, some of it landing in Alaska. The harbour in Seward (which opens into the Gulf of Alaska) has the first large amount of debris, a small foretaste of what is to come.

“It is a disturbing sight,” CBS News reported, “A wilderness beach that is littered with plastic bottles, fishing gear and big chunks of yellow foam believed to be insulation from ruined Japanese buildings swept to sea when the tsunami hit.” Further on, they said, “...on the shore was a plastic fuel container with Japanese writing on it. It is the kind of lightweight item that floats and can be blown by the wind so it got here fast. It is expected debris like this could hit beaches along the West Coast, down to California.”

A lot of the local people—mostly all fishermen by trade—are worried that contamination from the rubble will affect the wildlife of the area, including the fish they catch. They are begging officials to come and help.

Sources: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57441290/alaska-braces-for-debris-from-japans-tsunami/, http://edition.cnn.com/studentnews/index.html (check the student news site out, it's great!)