SAN NARCISO, Calif. -- Austria’s Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics published a report Tuesday calculating that two types of radioactive particles released in the first four days of Japan’s nuclear crisis have reached 20 to 50 percent of the levels emitted from Chernobyl within a 10-day period, adding to the growing concerns over the contamination of milk and vegetables near the Fukushima reactor. These figures contest original estimates from France’s IRSN radiation protection and nuclear safety institute, which put the levels at only 10 percent of those from the Russian disaster. The newly published findings have again created panic among Californians, who fear that dangerous amounts of radiation may already be contaminating the air by coastal cities.

Stanley Kotex, a senior nuclear engineer at San Narciso-based Yoyodyne and former Tea Party candidate for Congress, addressed the City Council for a second time to downplay these concerns -- and tout the increased exposure as a potential cure for cancer.