This comes after a White House multi-agency briefing with Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos and members of the CNMI Nuclear Task Force on Saturday morning. The governor’s office also announced that no radiation has been detected on passengers or cargo entering the Northern Marianas.
Fitial and Inos discussed local efforts and concerns with federal officials, who assured the central government of the safety of the Mariana islands and of the federal support that is in place to alleviate pressing concerns.
Fitial and Inos, joined on the call by Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo and his key staff were able to directly communicate with the following participants from federal agencies:
• Cecilia Munoz, director of intergovernmental affairs at the White House
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
• Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco
• Department of Homeland Security Deputy Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection David Aguilar
According to Vilsack, “We have no reason at USDA to suggest that the meat, poultry and egg products we regulate are unfit for consumption. We monitor and we inspect imports. Should we believe any threats arise, we have processes in place to take care of that.”
Hamburg said there are no food commodities coming from the area affected by the nuclear incident. “We know where the imported goods are, and we know what we need to do to assess any threats to food safety,” stated Hamburg.
Fitial pointed out that there is mounting concerns on the inbound shipment of fresh seafood coming from Japan. FDA’s Hamburg reiterated assurances that there are no indications of food contamination in the territories. “Products already in your community are already safe. The produce and seafood you have should not be a concern,” Hamburg added.
The governor also sought the federal government’s assistance to provide radiation isotope identification devices to augment the portable radiation devices U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers are using at the ports.
