The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has completed a groundbreaking ecological study of the impact of nuclear power plants on the local population. Despite large studies that say there is no evidence that people living near nuclear power plants are at increased risk of dying from cancer, the federal government is investigating the issue, starting with seven nuclear power plants in Connecticut and California. In a pilot project that will begin in the coming months, the NRC has commissioned the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on cancer risk.
The Office of Radiation Protection continuously monitors radioactivity and trains emergency workers in radiation emergencies. The Office for Radiation Protection monitors radiation levels in the air, water, and soil and continuously checks for radioactive substances and the presence of radioactive substances in air and water.
When an accident at a nuclear power plant is expected to release radiation into the area, local authorities activate warning sirens and approved alarms. Information and materials for emergencies can be obtained from the power plant operator, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), or the US Department of Energy. The area within a 10-mile radius of a plant typically includes areas within 1,000 feet of the reactor building or other facilities. If AI has not received information about the safety of people living within 10 miles of nuclear power plants, please contact your local Emergency Management Office.
Citizens living near a nuclear power plant must be regularly informed of procedures to inform them of problems at the plant and to take action when protective measures such as evacuation or shelter are required. This EPA fact sheet provides information for people living within a 10-mile radius or within a 10-mile radius of a reactor building or other facility, including how to respond in an emergency. It is an important resource for people, especially those living within ten miles of nuclear power plants and who may be exposed to radiation from nuclear power plants.
NPR wants to hear above all from the residents of a nuclear power plant about their experience with radiation pollution. We would like to hear from you at 800-989-8255 to learn more about your experience in the nuclear power plant environment.
We spoke to the National Academy of Sciences to remind them of the health studies they have conducted on nuclear power plants and their impact on public health and safety. This report continues to support the fact that US nuclear power plants do not affect public health and safety. It is not just a statistic that other children live near a nuclear power plant and get cancer.
We point out that coal-fired power stations release 100 times more radioactivity than nuclear power stations, and there is data showing that people living near a coal-fired power station are at a higher risk of cancer than those not living near the power station. Studies show that the amount of radioactive material released in operated coal-fired power plants is the same as in nuclear power plants. We quote a study by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which states that 'coal-fired power plants have released up to 100,000 tonnes of radioactive waste per year, or more than the total amount of radiation emitted by an operational power plant in the US.
The COMARE report contrasts this with a German study which calls for an increase in the risk of leukemia and other cancers in people living near nuclear power stations. The estimated radiation dose that people take in near coal-fired power plants is about twice as high as that of nuclear power plants or coal-fired power plants. However, a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found no significant difference in cancer risk between people with cancer and those who do not live in close proximity to nuclear and coal-fired power plants. In fact, the risk of childhood leukemia in areas with high radiation exposure, such as the United States and Germany, has roughly doubled, according to the CDC.
Ten years after the leak began, a person living near the plant was twice as likely to get cancer as someone living elsewhere in the U.S. The latest report by COMARE examined the health of children under the age of 5 living near 13 British nuclear power stations. Such studies deal with radiation exposure to the surrounding population, not just the nuclear power plant itself.
Nuclear power stations are built according to certain regulations, so the energy costs are lower when you grow up there. District heating near a nuclear power plant is, however, much more expensive than in other parts of the US and Canada. For example, the first nuclear power plant in the United States, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, was shut down in 1971.
The closure has led to an increase in the number of people living closer to the power plant, as proximity to the plant is linked to employment in the vicinity of the power plant. The other part, of course, is how many jobs they create over time, but I ask you to think about how important they are to meet the nation's electricity needs in the years ahead. Is it safe to live near a nuclear power plant, especially if you live in a city with a high concentration of nuclear power plants, such as New York City?