Re: RADIOACTIVE RELEASES FROM NEW JERSEY NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AND THE LINK WITH CANCER

["Thomas E. Potter" <pottert@erols.com>]

I have read only the report summary provided by Sandy, and have not

requested the WORD version of the complete report.  So I may be going

out on a limb a little here, but I think I'm going out only a little on

what I think is a fairly solid limb.



I strongly suspect that the Gould/Sternglass report grossly

misinterprets or misrepresents radioactive material releases from the

nuclear power plants of interest. The report states that Oyster Creek

emitted 77.0 curies of airborne radioactivity in the period 1970-1993. 

However, the report does not state the quantity of Sr-90 released. 

Releases of Sr-90 from nuclear power plants, including those of interest

here, are measured carefully and are miniscule both in the absolute

sense and in the relative sense (relative to the inventory of weapons

test fallout Sr-90 deposited in the vicinity of the plants).



The Gould/Sternglass statement regarding levels of "radioactive

chemicals" in Trenton precipitation may also be misleading. That

statement also is not limited to Sr-90.  It could well be that the

quantities measured are due primarily to naturally occurring nuclides,

in which case, fairly constant levels, or at least fairly constant

patterns over time would be expected.  The observed patterns would then

not indicate that reactors are an important current source of

radionuclides.



Tom Potter



Gould/Sternglass Report exerpts:



>                       RADIOACTIVE RELEASES 

>               FROM NEW JERSEY NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS 

>                      AND THE LINK WITH CANCER

>                                  

>                                 By

>                                  

>              The Radiation and Public Health Project

>                                 

>                           Toms River NJ

>                          April 26, 2001 



<snip>



>Radioactive Emissions The Oyster Creek reactor began operations on 

>May 3, 1969, making it the oldest of the 103 U.S. reactors still in 

>operation.  The Salem 1/2 and Hope Creek reactors began operations in 

>1976, 1980, and 1986, respectively.  



>Oyster Creek emitted 77.0 curies of airborne radioactivity in the 

>period 1970-1993, the largest amount of any U.S. reactor.  



>Environmental Levels of Radioactivity From 1979 to 1995, the level of 

>radioactive chemicals in Trenton precipitation remained relatively 

>constant, suggesting that a current source of emissions (nuclear 

>power reactors) was supplementing and offsetting the decay of fallout 

>from old nuclear bomb tests.



<snip>

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