It has been nearly three years since a massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan killed almost 20,000 people. The catastrophe claimed another victim: the Fukushima nuclear power plant, where there was a meltdown at three reactors, which continues to leak radioactive contaminants into the Pacific.

Mike Priddy, a supervisor at Washington’s Environmental Sciences Section, says particles of radiation from the damaged reactors are still on the move, being carried along by ocean currents, and could hit the Pacific coastline anytime soon.

“We’ve been looking at models and it could be coming now or later this spring,” Priddy told us today.

But not to worrry.

“It will be very, very low levels and won’t be a public-health concern,” he says.

UW meteorologist Cliff Mass says he’s been getting e-mail inquiries for months about the specter of radioactive isotopes washing up on our beaches.

“But really it’s kind of nonsensical. The ocean is so huge that it’s going to diluted,” says Mass. “It’s no problem and I’m absolutely convinced it’s a non-issue.”