New Report into Links between Childhood Cancer and Ionising Radiation. Many thanks to the Low Level Radiation Campaign for this important new report. When we have been campaigning on the streets we have met with nurses who have told us that the high incidence of childhood cancer in the North West should be the subject of a government inquiry – suspect it is the same tale wherever people are downwind of nuclear installations and transports of nuclear materials.
Radiation Free Lakeland 30th May 2020 read more »
While we agonize over the COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps it is also appropriate to consider another medical enigma which kills far more. Cancer is the number one killer in California. This year, cancer deaths are expected to exceed 60,000 in California and 600,000 nationwide. Radioactive discharges from nuclear power plants are viewed by many as a contributing factor. Over 100 million Americans live within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant. Our very own San Onofre has been regularly releasing low-level radiation into the ocean and atmosphere for more than a half-century. Although it is listed as “low-level,” the destructive biological effects of radiation are cumulative. According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, even small doses of ionizing radiation increase risks to humans. Air ejectors blast dozens of radionuclides into the prevailing winds which generally blow over the populated cities of Orange County. Giant pipes that are 18 feet in diameter discharge liquid releases into the ocean, up to a million gallons per minute. Radionuclides are mixed with sea water in discharges that can go on for more than a day. The theory is simple: The solution to pollution is dilution. Do these emissions increase cancer risk? The shocking answer is that no one knows for sure, mainly because of lack of research. The public would like to know more but nuclear industry wants to know less. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission likes to cite a heavily flawed study from 30 years ago which failed to find an answer. It studied only where people died, not where they lived or worked. It also failed to study cancer in children, the most vulnerable group. More recently, scientific studies in Europe have reported an increase in cancer risks, especially in children.
Irvine Community News 30th May 2020 read more »