Some general thoughts on the issue:
In his most interesting report, Mr. Mangano notes, in conclusion, that “radiation exposure is just one of many potential factors affecting infant health, and it is very difficult exactly to determine what proportion of disease rate declines is due to Rancho Seco’s closure.”
The “report” primarily discusses infant death, with only a minor mention of decreased child cancer rates. Table data backing up his statements detailing the death and cancer rates appear to be based on a prior Mangano published article (am I reading it right?), with no additional backup info or references; a tad recursive to me. Together with the statement that “childhood cancer has been positively correlated with other low-dose exposures, including background radiation [my underline]”, I see how he can arrive at his conclusion.
If a fellow engineer handed me a report of this quality to review, I would run out of red ink during the process and finish with severe professional doubts about his ability to do a proper engineering evaluation. Any of my clients receiving this type of report from me would show me the door. A report that tells me I have a big problem, but that it only looked at one of many potentially contributory factors, is incomplete and tells me little. Unfortunately, most people will just read the headline and first paragraph. As the great sage Oblio once said, “A point in every direction is the same as no point at all.”
Finally, I just happened to draw a 70-mile circle around Haddam Neck, CT (upwind of Millstone), and noticed that the following somewhat major nuclear facilities (in addition to Millstone Point’s 3 Units) are, or were, located within that boundary: Naval Research reactors (3) at Windsor, Yale (New Haven), CT Children’s Hospital (Farmington), Naval Submarine Base (Groton), Electric Boat (Groton), Pratt and Whitney (Hartford). Granted, several of these facilities are upwind, but then so is Sacramento…
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Sam Stilwell
Senior Engineering Specialist
Proto-Power Corporation
15 Thames Street
Groton, CT 06340
860-405-7208, ext. 3037
FAX 860-446-3096
Pager 888-319-2176
sstilwel@protopower.com
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