[ RadSafe ] NYC symposium on biomedical/environmental impacts of Fukushima at New York Academy of Medicine - Gathering on "Real" Science?
Brennan, Mike (DOH)
Mike.Brennan at DOH.WA.GOV
Thu Jan 31 11:25:52 CST 2013
Caldicott make a claim I've heard before, "And worst of all, Fukushima
Daiichi's building #4, which holds 100 tons of highly radioactive spent
fuel, was seriously damaged during the earthquake and could collapse in
another large quake. This would cause the fuel pool to burn, releasing
even more massive amounts of radiation. All of these have profound
medical and public health implications."
Has anyone seen an actual engineering assessment of what would happen if
the pool lost cooling? I, frankly, am rather dubious that the spent
fuel would burn at this point. Most of the fuel has been in the pool
for a number of fueling cycles, and would be ready to move to dry cask
storage, if the building hadn't broken. There is newer spent fuel, but
the newest has now been decaying for two years, and isn't producing
anything like as much heat as when it went into the pool. Between the
lower heat output and the spacing in the pool, I am dubious any of the
fuel would burn, let alone all of it. Cladding failure would be a
possibility, but that lack a powerful driving force to spread
contamination. While having the pool drain would be a bad thing, I
don't see it being even a local disaster, let alone a global one.
-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Miller, Mark L
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2013 8:04 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: [ RadSafe ] NYC symposium on biomedical/environmental impacts
of Fukushima at New York Academy of Medicine - Gathering on "Real"
Science?
Importance: High
Source:
www.helencaldicottfoundation.org<http://www.helencaldicottfoundation.org
/>
NEWS RELEASE
Contacts: Josh Baran, jcbaran at gmail.com<mailto:jcbaran at gmail.com>,
917-797-1799
Stephen Kent, skent at kentcom.com<mailto:skent at kentcom.com>,
914-589-5988
FUKUSHIMA TWO YEARS LATER
Global symposium to address mounting medical & ecological consequences
March 11-12 - New York Academy of Medicine
[New York - January 25, 2013] Two years after the March 11, 2011 triple
meltdown at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex, new research and
new information continues to come to light about its continuing
bio-medical and ecological consequences, how they compare with
Chernobyl, and what they indicate about the impact of nuclear power on
public health, safety, and the environment.
A unique public symposium, "The Medical and Ecological Consequences of
the Fukushima Nuclear Accident," will be held on March 11-12 at the New
York Academy of Medicine to explore the latest data and its
implications. A project of The Helen Caldicott Foundation, the symposium
is being co-sponsored by Physicians for Social Responsibility.
The Japanese Prime Minister during the Fukushima crisis, Naota Kan, will
open the symposium with a special videotaped message. He will be
followed by another video message from the Special Adviser to the Prime
Minister (2010-2011), Hiroshi Tasaka, Ph.D. A nuclear engineer and
Professor at Japan's Tama University, he counseled the Kan government
on how to stop the acute phase of the Fukushima accident, and on
reforming nuclear regulation and energy policy in its wake.
Then an international group of some of the world's leading experts -
including several from Japan and the U.S. -- in radiation biology,
embryology, epidemiology, oceanography, nuclear engineering, and nuclear
policy will make presentations and participate in panel discussions.
Among them are Dr. Ken Buesseler of the Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institute; Dr. Hisaku Sakiyama, a member of the Japanese Diet's
Fukushima Accident Independent Investigative Commission; Dr. Alexey
Yablokov of the Russian Academy of Sciences; and many others (see below
for a list of presenters).
Much of the information and analysis that the participants will present
is new. All of it is highly relevant to the current debate about the
future of nuclear power in Japan, the U.S. and globally.
"The Fukushima crisis is actually an issue of global public health,"
said Dr. Helen Caldicott, the symposium's organizer. "As a physician,
I've been distressed about the lack of general understanding of the
medical science that should be part of any discussion of nuclear power,
but isn't."
"For example, cancers in humans take from five to seventy years to
develop after radiation exposure, so it takes time to actually see the
effects in populations," she said. "But we are already observing a
demonstrable increased incidence of thyroid abnormalities in children
in the Fukushima Prefecture. This may be an early indicator of an
eventual increased incidence of thyroid cancers. Further, plumes of
radioactivity from Fukushima are currently migrating in the Pacific
Ocean towards the West Coast of the U.S."
"This crisis is far from over. Large radioactive releases into the ocean
continue, and thousands of tons of radioactive waste are set to be
incinerated in cities throughout Japan. And worst of all, Fukushima
Daiichi's building #4, which holds 100 tons of highly radioactive spent
fuel, was seriously damaged during the earthquake and could collapse in
another large quake. This would
cause the fuel pool to burn, releasing even more massive amounts of
radiation. All of these have profound medical and public health
implications."
Confirmed speakers at the symposium include:
* Dr. Herbert Abrams, Emeritus Professor Radiology, Stanford
University, Member of Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation
Committee, National Academy of Sciences (BEIR VII), presenting on "The
Hazards of Low-level Ionizing Radiation: Controversy and Evidence."
* Robert Alvarez, former U.S. Department of Energy Senior Policy
Advisor, now Senior Scholar, Institute for Policy Studies, presenting on
"Management of Spent Fuel Pools and Radioactive Waste"
* Dr. David Brenner, Higgins Professor of Radiation Physics, College
of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, presenting on
"Mechanistic Models for Effects of Ionizing Radiation on Living Systems"
* Dr. Ken Buesseler, Marine Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institute, presenting on "Radionuclides in Ocean, Fish and the Seafloor"
* Dr. Ian Fairlie, independent consultant on radiation risks, former
Secretary to UK Government's Committee Examining the Radiation Risks of
Internal Emitter, presenting on "The Nuclear Disaster at Fukushima:
Nuclide Source Terms and Initial Health Effects"
* Cindy Folkers, Beyond Nuclear, presenting on "Post Fukushima Food
Monitoring in the USA"
* David Freeman, engineer and attorney, former Chairman, Tennessee
Valley Authority, who was in charge of energy and the environment while
serving in the Office of Science and Technology under Presidents Johnson
and Nixon, presenting on "My Experience with Nuclear Power"
* Arnie Gunderson, Nuclear Engineer, Fairewinds Associates, which
consults on U.S. nuclear safety, presenting on "What Did They Know and
When Did They Know It?"
* Kevin Kamps, Beyond Nuclear, Specialist in High Level Waste
Management and Transportation, presenting on "Seventy Years of
Radioactive Risks in Japan and America"
* David Lochbaum, Union of Concerned Scientists, presenting on
"Another Unsurprising Surprise"
* Dr. Donald Louria, Chairman Emeritus of the Department of
Preventive Medicine and Community Health of the University of Medicine
and Dentistry, New Jersey, will chair the symposium.
* Joe Mangano, Executive Director, Radiation and Public Health
Project, presenting on "Post-Fukushima Increases in Newborn
Hypothyroidism on the West Cost of USA"
* Akio Matsumura, Founder of Global Forum for Parliamentary Leaders
on Global Survival, presenting on "What did the World Learn from the
Fukushima Accident?"
* Dr. Tim Mousseau, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of
South Carolina, presenting on "Chernobyl, Fukushima and other Hot
Places: Biological Consequences"
* Dr. Marek Niedziela, Professor of Pediatrics, Poznan University of
Medical Sciences, Poland, presenting on "Thyroid Pathology in Children
with Particular Reference to Chernobyl and Fukushima"
* Mary Olson, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, presenting
on "Gender Matters in the Nuclear Age"
* Dr. Hisaku Sakiyama, Doctor of Medicine, former Senior Researcher
at National Institute Radiological Sciences, Japan, member of Fukushima
Accident Independent Investigative Commission, presenting on "Risk
Assessment of Low Dose Radiation in Japan: What Became Clear to the
National Diet of Japan's Fukushima Investigation Commission"
* Steven Starr, Senior Scientist, Physicians for Social
Responsibility, Clinical Laboratory Science Program Director, University
of Missouri, presenting on "The Implications of the Massive
Contamination of Japan with Radioactive Cesium"
* Dr. Wladimir Wertelecki, former Chairman Department of Medical
Genetics and Birth Defects Department at the University of South
Alabama, presenting on "Congenital Malformations in Rivne, Polossia
associated with the Chernobyl Accident"
* Dr. Steve Wing, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Gillings
School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, presenting
on "Epidemiological Studies of Radiation Releases from Nuclear
Facilities: Lessons from Past and Present"
* Dr. Alexey Yablokov, Russian Academy of Sciences, presenting on
"Lessons from Chernobyl"
"The Medical and Ecological Consequences of the Fukushima Nuclear
Accident" symposium will be held March 11 - 12 at the New York Academy
of Medicine, located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street,
beginning at 9am on March 11. The symposium program is posted at
www.helencaldicottfoundation.org<http://www.helencaldicottfoundation.org
>. Members of the public can obtain information and register for the
event online at: http://www.helencaldicottfoundation.org/symposium.html
# # #
NOTE TO JOURNALISTS AND BLOGGERS: Members of the media are invited to
attend all or part of the symposium free of charge. Journalists and
bloggers need not register online but should simply RSVP to this email.
FYI the first session 9:00- 10:45am on Monday, March 11 includes former
Prime Minister Kan, Dr. Tasaka, David Lochbaum and Arnie Gunderson. For
dates and times of all symposium presentations and panels, please see
the posted agenda (online at
http://www.helencaldicottfoundation.org/symposium.html, bottom of the
page). Dr. Caldicott and other symposium presenters are available for
advance or side interviews on request. To arrange an interview, or to
RSVP for the symposium, contact Josh Baran,
jcbaran at gmail.com<mailto:jcbaran at gmail.com>, 917-797-1799 or Stephen
Kent, skent at kentcom.com,<mailto:skent at kentcom.com> 914-589-5988
(working media only please).
About The Helen Caldicott Foundation
The goal of The Helen Caldicott Foundation is far-reaching public
education about the often underestimated and poorly understood medical
hazards of nuclear weapons and nuclear power.
About Physicians for Social Responsibility
PSR is the largest physician-led organization in the U.S. working to
prevent nuclear war and proliferation and to slow, stop and reverse
global warming and toxic degradation of the environment.
_______________________________________________
You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list
Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and understood
the RadSafe rules. These can be found at:
http://health.phys.iit.edu/radsaferules.html
For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings
visit: http://health.phys.iit.edu
More information about the RadSafe
mailing list