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Family sues FPL over son's cancer (TFP)
Family blames FPL for son's cancer
Lawsuit filed claiming nuclear waste caused disease
By Mark Pollio staff writer
February 11, 2003
ST. LUCIE WEST -- The parents of a dying 8-year-old boy from Jensen Beach
think that a local nuclear power plant is responsible for what is killing
their son.
Scott and Rebecca Finestone filed a federal lawsuit Monday in West Palm
Beach claiming their son Zachary could die from cancer either caused or
aggravated by emissions from the St. Lucie Nuclear Plant.
The suit names Florida Power and Light, the company that operates the
nuclear plant on Hutchinson Island, as the defendant. The Finestones are
requesting unspecified damages.
"He's not going to live a long life," said Scott Finestone, at a press
conference outside of the St. Lucie West Courthouse. "We've had doctors tell
us to take him home and enjoy the time we have left because they didn't
think there was much that could be done."
Zachary, who grew up in Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie, was diagnosed with
neuroblastoma in March 2000. Cancer has showed up in several parts of his
body, including his spine, hips and head.
Shortly after being diagnosed, Zachary began chemotherapy. Later that year,
he had a stem cell transplant and surgery. The treatment appeared to work
and in 2001, Zachary's cancer went into remission, his parents said.
The good news was short-lived. The cancer came back in 2002. He now receives
chemotherapy once every three weeks and is not able to attend school.
"Our goal is to make things right and make sure this kind of thing does not
happen again," said Nancy La Vista, a West Palm Beach attorney hired by the
Finestones. "We believe his exposure to nuclear waste has caused or
contributed to his cancer."
FPL spokeswoman Kathy Scott said FPL has not received the lawsuit yet. She
said FPL denies the power plant has contributed to cancer in local
residents.
"The Florida Department of Health and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have
previously reviewed lawsuits of this nature and found them without merit,"
Scott said.
The primary culprit, according to the lawsuit, is strontium-90. The metallic
element is a normal byproduct of nuclear fission, like that which takes
place in the St. Lucie Power Plant. La Vista said too much strontium-90 is
escaping from the plant.
"We tested the water and is shows a marker that could indicate high levels
of strontium-90," La Vista said. "There are a lot of experts looking into
this."
The Finestones have turned to one group of experts for support in their
lawsuit. "The Tooth Fairy Project," developed by the Radiation and Public
Health Project in New York, has compiled evidence that supports the
Finestones' case.
The Tooth Fairy Project studied strontium-90 levels in baby teeth collected
from children in areas around nuclear power plants. The strontium-90 is
often found in children's teeth because it is similar to calcium.
"In counties closest to nuclear reactors, strontium-90 levels are the
highest in the state," said Joseph Mangano, RPHP national coordinator.
"Ultimately, we want to show people this information to reduce disease rates
and make plants safer."
RPHP completed phase one of the Tooth Fairy Project, which compared
strontium-90 levels to nuclear power plant locations, in 2002. Phase two,
which compares strontium-90 levels in healthy children and children with
cancer, is currently ongoing.
There are a lot of experts who don't believe in the Tooth Fairy Project.
"All the information gathered says there is no correlation between nuke
plants and cancer," said Thelma Wiggins, a Nuclear Energy Institute
spokeswoman. "There were no adverse health effects from the Three Mile
Island release in Pennsylvania and that was our worst incident ever."
Wiggins said a small amount of strontium-90 is normally found in most
humans. She said children often get it from drinking milk. The milk comes
from cows that eat grass from the ground where strontium-90 is naturally
occurring, Wiggins said.
Florida Department of Health Bureau of Radiation Control Administrator
Harlan Keatan said strontium-90 levels have never come close to posing a
problem around the St. Lucie power plant.
"We test the air, water, vegetation, fish and crustaceans," Keatan said. "We
are looking for any changes in the environment. We have never found anything
out of the ordinary in St. Lucie County."
Numerous monitors located within a 10-mile radius of the power plant are
used to collect data. Keatan said the information is collected weekly,
monthly or quarterly, depending on the type of data.
Keatan presented similar information to a group of concerned Port St. Lucie
parents in 1998 after a group of 30 local children were diagnosed with
cancer. Keatan said the information convinced parents that the nuclear power
plant was not the cause of their children's cancer.
Florida Health Department Bureau Chief of Environmental Epidemiology David
Johnson backed up Keatan's diagnosis in a 2001 letter he wrote.
"RPHP has implied that there are large increases in cancer rates and they
attribute these increases to radiation exposure from Turkey Point and St.
Lucie power plants," Johnson wrote. "Using this data, we have not identified
any unusually high rates of cancers in these counties."
The strontium-90 issue came up in New York recently as well. The same group
that ran the Tooth Fairy Project was called upon by the Westchester County
Legislature to study strontium-90 levels in its area.
Westchester County is located directly north of New York City. The Indian
Point nuclear power plant sits on the western edge of the county, adjacent
to the Hudson River.
"We had many concerns about the scientific validity of what was proposed,"
said Mary Landrigan, Westchester County Health Department spokeswoman.
"When it was done, we had little faith in the results based on the methods
they used."
- mark.pollio@scripps.com
http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/trib_local_news/article/0,1651,TCP_1107_1737117,00.html
--
Hold the door for the stranger behind you. When the driver a
half-car-length in front of you signals to get over, slow down. Smile and
say "hi" to the folks you pass on the sidewalk. Give blood. Volunteer.
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