12/18/2007, for immediate release.

Contact:

Deb Katz (413) 339-5781

To Brattleboro Reformer
Letter to the Editor

All Levels of Radiation Cause Cancer

The National Academies of Science (NAS), a leading scientific body, released the BEIR VII report June 30, 2005 on the risks from radiation exposure. The report confirmed that /there is no safe level of exposure to radiation—/that even very low doses can cause cancer. Unlike Entergy or the state of Vermont's public officials, they have no investment in Vermont Yankee's future. Their report is based on years of scientific evidence.

Vermont Yankee routinely releases radiation into our air on a daily basis. NAS states that the members of the _public_ could get cancer if exposed to 100 millirems per year for a 70-year lifetime. This is essentially the NRC's allowable radiation dose for the public exposed to Vermont Yankee's releases. These risks are much higher than permitted for other carcinogens, such as chemicals. In addition, there are studies that found that although nuclear workers are healthier than the general public- its called the healthy worker syndrome- exposure to low doses can lead to a 60% increase in leukemia and a 30% increase in other cancers.

The Massachusetts Department of Health did cancer studies of three separate nuclear facilities in the state- Yankee Rowe, Nuclear Metals and the Pilgrim reactor; although the state could not confirm the cause of the problem, there was statistical significance in cancer in all these communities. Is this a coincidence? People in reactor communities think not.

Vermont Yankee’s license termination provides us with a great opportunity to replace nuclear with clean sustainable alternatives that can employ local people and save us money on our electric bills.

Key conclusions of the report:

*There is no safe level or threshold of ionizing radiation exposure*.
*Exposure to background radiation causes some cancers*.
*Radiation causes other health effects such as heart disease and
stroke*.
*Children born to parents that have been exposed to radiation
could be affected by those exposures.*
*The “bystander effect” is an newly recognized effect by which
radiation injures cells that were not directly hit* *but are in
the vicinity of those that were*. This effect “might contribute
significantly to radiation cancer risk.”
* Every exposure to radiation causes some risk* and that risks are generally related to dose.

The report is available on the web at http://www.national-academies.org/

For information on Yankee Rowe and low level radiation: www.nukebusters.org

Deb Katz
Citizens Awareness Network
413 339 5781