Re: TFP update article, E Magazine

["Richard L. Hess" <lists@richardhess.com>]

At 11:20 AM 9/13/2002 -0400, Norman Cohen wrote:



> > Childhood cancer rates jumped 75 percent in the San Louis Obispo,

> > Calif., area after a reactor opened there. In Pennsylvania, the baby

> > tooth researchers also tracked a rise in childhood cancers that

> > corresponded with a reactor opening. "We think that when you have this

> > documented increase in radiation in the body after the reactor is

> > opened, followed by an increase in childhood cancer, this is strong

> > evidence suggesting a cause-and-effect relationship," said Mangano.

> >



Hi, Norman,



Could you please explain the relationship between the reactor and the 

childhood cancers?



San Luis Obispo County is one of my wife's and my favorite vacation spots. 

Yes, we are aware of the sirens surrounding the Diablo Canyon power plant. 

However, I took my G-M radiation logger with me over the labor day weekend 

and the highest levels of gamma radiation I found was a mile above sea 

level adjacent to the San Andreas fault. It was lower in San Luis Obispo 

County.



I really need to understand the mechanisms. Is this a spike thing? Does it 

dissipate? What confounding factors have been analyzed? For example, the 

area is growing in population. There is more intensive agriculture. There 

are several reservoirs that recharge ground water from runoff. There has 

been an explosive growth of fast food restaurants. There are many factors.



I believe that many of the people who are anti-nuclear power are very 

sincere. Until this summer, I was one of them, because I thought I "knew" 

all the facts. What I have learned in a few months on this list is that I 

don't know all the facts, and that many of the populist sources are wrong.



Cheers,



Richard



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