THE CARROLL COX SHOW

NEWS AND COMMENTARY

August 31, 2011.    We just learned  the United States Marine Corps'  CH-53D helicopter that crashed in Kaneohe Bay in March  of this year included components identified as an In-Flight Blade Inspection System  (IBIS)  that contained the radioactive isotope Strontium-90.   

 Sources alerted The Carroll Cox Show,  that civilian employees within the United States Marine Corps Environmental Department knowingly and intentionally withheld critical information about the presence of the radioactive isotope from the state,  the workers at the crash site, and the public.  Their actions caused the possible exposure of an untold number of people  to radiation as they retrieved parts,  looked for clues to the crash,  contained leaking fuel,  removed the aircraft  from the site and assessed environmental impact,   because they were working without protective gear. 

The civilian support staff made the decision to not tell the workers even though the marine squadron that assigned the helicopter advised them that the aircraft contained  IBIS units and they should  treat the site as a hazardous waste spill.

It should be noted, the crash site is located at a popular area of Kaneohe Bay known as "The Sandbar".  It is where  people often gather to  swim, fish  and socialize, and they did continued to do so immediately after the aircraft was removed.

We were  told that note: Although some of the workers were screened for exposure to the radioactive isotope Strontium-90, and other workers with Geiger Counters tested the area around the crash site, no one has ever  issued a formal declaration that all was clear.  Based on this, and other information, we filed a complaint against the Marine Corps with the Hawaii State Department of Health and the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources.    We also requested that the area be closed until a third party can conduct monitoring of the area for the radioactive isotope to determine if the area is safe.

Note:  although we know for a fact there was a contaminated spill, some personnel were contaminated,  and the orange raft that the IBIS units were placed in during the recovery process was contaminated, the Marines continue to cover up the situation and refused to answer our questions.  Click here to read our questions to the Marines, and the answer they provided.

We wrote the attached letters to Mr. Gary Gill, State Dept. of Health,  Mr. William Aila, Chairman of the DLNR, and Mr. Kenneth Silva, Honolulu Fire Department informing them of the situation.  They went to the Kanoehe Bay Sandbar on Friday, September 2, to test the area for contamination.

Click here to view pictures  taken at the crash site on March 29.  Note the orange raft in the second picture.

Click here to read more about the IBIS device

On Sunday, September 4, after our broadcast we learned the raft used to hold and transport the IBIS units and radioactive waste came lose from its mooring at the crash site, floated around Kaneohe Bay,  and ended up by Kamehameha Hwy.  A number of citizens came in contact with the raft.   Click here for questions we sent Major Couch about the raft.     .

On Friday, Sept. 2, 2011, after reported the issue to the Hawaii State Department of Health,  state workers took geiger counters out to the sandbar to check for radiation: