“Bomb Trains” Should NOT Travel 1/8 Mile From Limerick’s Reactors And Fuel Pools
BE AWARE! 100-car crude-oil “bomb trains” regularly travel just 1/8 of a milefrom Limerick Nuclear Plant’s reactors and fuel pools.
Frequent railroad transport of millions of gallons of explosive, flammable, hazardous crude-oil, only 1/8 of a mile from Limerick’s reactors and fuel pools, must be stopped immediately. A “bomb train” derailment, explosion, and enormous fireball could burn for days in an unstoppable fire with days of thick black smoke which could trigger catastrophic multiple meltdowns.
Limerick, already a ticking time bomb + a bomb train derailment = catastrophic disaster!!!
Millions of victims in the Greater Philadelphia Region would face unprecedented catastrophic consequences to our life, property, and the environment. We could lose everything – homes, businesses, jobs, and health. Drinking water for almost two million people (Pottstown to Philadelphia) would become too radioactive/toxic for safe use. Long-term ecological damage would leave ghost towns that can’t be cleaned up safely. Our entire region could become a toxic wasteland for generations.
Victims would not be compensated adequately for losses, if at all. Who would pay to deal with irreversible devastation from crude oil explosions/fire plus massive radioactive contamination from Limerick meltdowns? Bottom line: no one!
NOT insurance companies that refuse to cover radiological accidents
NOT Exelon, with its government guaranteed limited liability protection
NOT the railroad industry, already fighting for exemption from strict liability for derailment damages
NOT Pennsylvania, already burdened with an enormous deficit
NOT the federal government, already trillions of dollars in debt and totally dysfunctional
Train derailment disasters should be anticipated. Occurring with more frequency, incidents occurred in over 250 municipalities – ProPublica data 2011-2014. The worst caused widespread evacuation, death, destruction of buildings, and loss of electric and drinking water. A 2015 accident in West Virginia proved safer trains and slower speeds aren’t the answer.
No matter what claims the oil, rail, or nuclear industries make, there is no emergency plan that could effectively deal with a disaster of this magnitude within 1/8 of a mile of Limerick’s reactors and fuel pools. Fire fighters and emergency responders shouldn’t be expected to be on the front lines of such dangerous uncontrollable disasters.
Safe evacuation is an absurd illusion! Limerick Nuclear Plant’s emergency and evacuation plans are fatally flawed and unworkable. To understand why – review the 8-part ACE video-blog series on Emergency and Evacuation Plans for Limerick’s radioactive plume at www.acereport.org. This should be a wake-up call, especially for all responsible for emergency and evacuation planning.
“Bomb trains” regularly traveling through the Limerick site dramatically increase Limerick’s already unacceptable risk for meltdowns from Limerick’s dangerously lax fire safety requirements, reactor shutdown problems, deteriorating aging equipment and systems, cyber attacks, and earthquake faults directly under reactors and fuel pools with increasing risk of earthquakes from fracking. A crude oil disaster on the Limerick site could be caused by terrorism. Even the attempted emergency response would increase opportunities for terrorism.
Crude oil bomb trains should not travel within 1/8 of a mile from limerick nuclear reactors and fuel pools, or anywhere on the site. It’s far too risky!
Hoping it doesn’t happen is not the answer. Denial allows extraordinary risks to continue and increase.
Officials have expressed concern but there has been no meaningful action to avoid such devastation. We should not face such risk or put our fire fighters and first responders in such dangerous circumstances.
Catastrophic disasters from crude oil explosions and fires near Limerick Nuclear Plant can and must be prevented with foresight and political will to face and eliminate this unnecessary risk. Willful blindness jeopardizes our future.
SPEAK UP NOW! Demand that community leaders and elected officials get the crude oil “bomb train” route moved now, no closer than several miles outside the nuclear plant border.
For detailed information compiled by the Alliance For A Clean Environment (ACE) see www.acereport.org.
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA REGION FACE CATASTROPHIC THREATS TO LIFE, PROPERTY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
OUR REGION COULD BECOME A TOXIC WASTELAND FOR GENERATIONS.
100-CAR CRUDE OIL “BOMB TRAINS” TRAVEL 1/8 OF A MILE FROM LIMERICK NUCLEAR PLANT’S REACTORS AND FUEL POOLS
“BOMB TRAIN” DERAILMENT, EXPLOSIONS, AND EXTENDED FIRES COULD TRIGGER DEVASTATING LIMERICK NUCLEAR MELTDOWNS, CAUSING MILLIONS OF GREATER PHILADELPHIA REGION’S RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES TO LOSE EVERYTHING.
Recent reports of crude oil derailment disasters show “bomb trains” keep exploding and turning into huge fireballs that burn for days, requiring miles-wide evacuations and resulting in devastating losses.
These unstoppable fires result in days-long thick black toxic smoke that are difficult, if not impossible to extinguish.
MILLIONS OF VICTIMS WOULD FACE UNPRECEDENTED CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF LIMERICK NUCLEAR MELTDOWNS PLUS A CRUDE OIL DISASTER. VICTIMS WOULD NOT BE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR DEVASTATING LOSSES.
Millions of people would lose their homes, businesses, and health.
Drinking water for almost two million people (Pottstown to Philadelphia) would become radioactive/toxic.
Long-term ecological damage would leave ghost towns that can’t be cleaned up safely.
WHO WOULD PAY TO DEAL WITH IRREVERSIBLE DEVASTATION FROM CRUDE OIL EXPLOSIONS/FIRE AND LIMERICK MELTDOWNS? BOTTOM LINE: NO ONE!
NOT insurance companies that refuse to cover radiological accidents
NOT Exelon, with its government guaranteed limited liability protection
NOT the railroad industry, already fighting for exemption from strict liability for derailment damages
NOT Pennsylvania, already burdened with an enormous deficit
NOT the federal government, already trillions of dollars in debt and totally dysfunctional
TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC DISASTER COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS MUST GET THE CRUDE-OIL “BOMB TRAIN” ROUTE MOVED NOW
EVERY CITIZEN MUST SPEAK UP TO COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, TO DEMAND THAT THE CRUDE-OIL “BOMB TRAIN” ROUTE BE MOVED NO CLOSER THAN SEVERAL MILES OUTSIDE THE NUCLEAR PLANT BORDER.
PLEASE REVIEW ATTACHED DETAILED INFORMATION
Compiled By The Alliance For A Clean Environment (ACE) November, 2015
CRUDE-OIL BOMB TRAINS SHOULD NOT TRAVEL WITHIN 1/8 OF A MILE FROM LIMERICK NUCLEAR REACTORS/FUEL POOLS OR ANYWHERE ON THE SITE. IT’S FAR TOO RISKY!
LIMERICK, A TICKING TIME BOMB + A BOMB TRAIN DERAILMENT =
CATASTROPHIC DISASTER!!!
Millions of people in the Greater Philadelphia Region face devastating risk from frequent railroad transport of millions of gallons of explosive, flammable, hazardous crude oil, only 1/8 of a mile from Limerick’s reactors and fuel pools.
Each shipment of explosive, flammable, hazardous crude oil traveling near Limerick’s reactors and fuel pools is estimated to contain:
30,000 gallons in each rail car. 100 or more rail cars can contain over 3 million gallons.
Heat from the rupture and ignition of just one 30,000-gallon car can set off a chain reaction, causing other cars to explode, releasing a days-long fireball that is difficult, if not impossible to extinguish. Basically, responders must let it burn out.
Train derailment disasters should be anticipated. ProPublica data (2011-2014) reveals that incidents have occurred in over 250 municipalities. Whole towns have already had to evacuate from crude-oil trains and fires. No one should assume or suggest there will not be a crude-oil train derailment, explosion, and fire on or near the Limerick Nuclear property.
The worst of eight major crude oil train accidents and risks include:
A train derailment and explosion killed 47 and destroyed 30 buildings in Quebec.
2,300 residents were evacuated in North Dakota. The fireball was observed several states away.
Serious crude-oil train derailments and fires are occurring with more frequency. Many have occurred just since the beginning of 2015.
A fuel-oil train already derailed a few miles from Philadelphia. Sixty-five tank cars bound for Philadelphia had loose, leaking, or missing safety components to prevent flammable, hazardous contents from escaping (Hazmat report – last two years).
Safer trains aren’t the answer. A new train with a safer-design derailed in February 2015 in West Virginia, despite adhering to the speed limit.
Hundreds of families had to flee their homes in frigid weather
Burning continued for days
Drinking water and electricity were lost
Leaking crude oil poisoned the water supply
Fireballs erupted from crumbled tank cars, underscoring volatility of crude oil’s propane, and butane
Toxic water and dirt are difficult and very costly to attempt to clean up
Hoping it doesn’t happen doesn’t eliminate catastrophic risk! Denial allows risks to continue and increase.
Richard Lengel, Pottstown’s Fire Chief, said in the Mercury 2-23-15, “If something catastrophic happens, there’s no municipality along the railroad that can handle it, the volume [crude oil] is too great. We just have to hope that nothing happens, honestly.”
The Pottstown Mercury 3-1-15 editorial got it right concluding, “Clearly, hope is not enough to maintain safety…”
No matter what claims the oil, rail, or nuclear industries make, there is no emergency plan that could effectively deal with a disaster of this magnitude within 1/8 of a mile of Limerick’s fuel pools.
Fire fighters and emergency responders shouldn’t be expected to be on the front lines of such devastating uncontrollable disasters.
Emergency responders are smart to be concerned.
Authorities say most fire and emergency departments are only capable of responding to a 9,000 gallon tanker truck incident, but DOT-111 crude oil cars hold 30,000 gallons, exceeding the response capacity.
Catastrophic disasters from crude oil explosions/fires near Limerick Nuclear Plant can and must be prevented with foresight and political will to face this unnecessary risk and take action.
WHY CRUDE OIL BOMB TRAIN EXPLOSIONS AND FIRES ON OR NEAR THE LIMERICK NUCLEAR PLANT SITE CAN TRIGGER MELTDOWNS:
LIMERICK NUCLEAR PLANT IS ALREADY VULNERABLE TO CATASTROPHIC MULTIPLE MELTDOWNS. LIMERICK HAS REACTOR SHUTDOWN PROBLEMS.
Limerick has a history of chronic shutdown problems. Publically available official reports show that Limerick’s reactors may not be able to be shut down safely in an emergency.
An explosion and days-long fire from a crude oil “bomb train” derailment could require immediate Limerick reactor shutdowns to avoid meltdowns. This may not be possible.
LIMERICK ISSUES RELATED TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF A BOMB TRAIN EXPLOSION FOLLOWED BY A DAYS-LONG FIREBALL PRODUCING THICK BLACK SMOKE:
Entire towns have been forced to evacuate after a bomb train disaster. Limerick workers, including guards, so close to the disaster should certainly be evacuated for their own health and safety. Yet, evacuation of Limerick workers could increase meltdown risks in Limerick’s 2 reactors and 2 fuel pools.
Limerick workers might be unable to access all necessary emergency equipment vital to preventing meltdowns, due to a crude oil explosion, massive heat, and extended days of thick black smoke.
Limerick’s control room would likely be impacted from days of thick black smoke. Even Occidental Chemical’s vinyl chloride powder accidents (.7 of a mile from Limerick Nuclear Plant) caused Limerick’s operators to “button up” Limerick’s control room. What would happen in days of thick black soot from a huge crude oil fire?
Extreme heat and soot could disturb the natural air flow needed for casks holding high-level radioactive wastes. Blocked cask vents could go undetected in thick black smoke leading to overheating of the stored high-level radioactive wastes.
LIMERICK’S DANGEROUSLY RELAXED FIRE SAFETY REGULATIONS
NRC weakened Limerick’s fire safety regulations, and still fails to enforce the weakened regulations.
Limerick does not use the safest fire barrier systems in all areas, to protect cables important to safe shutdown. Even Limerick’s recent 4-5-15 fire in a reactor panel shows that Limerick is extremely vulnerable to fire that could lead to meltdowns.
Reduced fire safety at Limerick has new meaning in relation to days-long crude oil fires because Limerick’s fire barriers are only required to protect cables for 1 hour.
Without the safest fire barriers, fire detection and suppression systems, and spatial separations, Limerick plant stability is compromised. Fires can erupt in many ways at a nuclear plant. Fires from crude oil bomb trains add significantly to Limerick’s risk of meltdowns due to fire.
Reactors and fuel pools need a constant supply of water to prevent meltdowns. A crude oil fire could disable Limerick’s cooling water delivery system, resulting in simultaneous meltdowns in Limerick’s 2 reactors and 2 fuel pools.
Exelon’s liability limit encourages cutting corners to save money.
A CRUDE OIL DISASTER ON THE LIMERICK SITE INCREASES OPPORTUNITIES FOR TERRORISM.
Evacuation of security guards could increase risk of a terrorist attack.
Terrorists could trigger a bomb train derailment, initiating crude oil explosions and fires at any point along the lengthy rail track route on the nuclear plant site.
A “BOMB TRAIN” DISASTER AT LIMERICK NUCLEAR PLANT MUST BE AVOIDED!
SAFE EVACUATION IS IMPOSSIBLE:
A CRUDE OIL TRAIN DISASTER TRIGGERING LIMERICK MELTDOWNS MUST BE PREVENTED
LIMERICK NUCLEAR PLANT’S EVACUATION PLAN IS UNREALISTIC, UNWORKABLE, AND DEFINITELY NOT “ROBUST”.
ACE’s evaluation of Exelon’s fatally flawed 2012 “Evacuation Time Estimate (ETE) For Limerick’s Plume Exposure Pathway” is useless as a planning tool for safe evacuation
Exelon’s ETE is self-serving fiction riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies, fact-free spin, unsubstantiated suppositions and assumptions, illogical conclusions.
Exelon’s ETE is not realistic and must be rejected.
To understand why Limerick Nuclear Plant’s emergency and evacuation plans are fatally flawed and inadequate, we urge you to review the 8-part ACE video-blog series on Emergency and Evacuation Plans for Limerick at www.acereport.org. It serves as a wake-up call to millions in the Greater Philadelphia Region about Limerick Nuclear Plant’s negligent emergency and evacuation planning:
ACE Analysis of Exelon’s Evacuation Time Estimate For Limerick’s Plume Exposure Pathway(Video / Blog Part 7)
This analysis reveals self-serving, unrealistic, unworkable fiction, with suppositions, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies, featuring fact-free spin with illogical conclusions.
Historic Fatal Flaws In Limerick’s Emergency – Evacuation Plans (Video / Blog – Part 6)
In 2012, NRC Pared Down Emergency and Evacuation Plans, Even After Fukushima (Video / Blog – Part 1)
Calls For Immediate Notification And Expanded Evacuation and Ingestion Pathway Zones (Video /Blog – Part 2)
The Truth and Consequences of Radiation Exposure From Nuclear Plant Accidents / Meltdowns (Video / Blog – Part 3)
What Really Happened After Fukushima, Chernobyl, and TMI Meltdowns (Video / Blog – Part 4)
Financial Injustice To The Public From A Radiation Accident / Meltdown (Video / Blog -Part 5)
Until Limerick Closes, Changes That Must Be Made To Limerick’s Evacuation Plan, To Minimize Radiation Exposure Risks After A Limerick Radiation Accident and/or Meltdowns (Video / Blog – Part 8)
In 1980 NRC publicly admitted that safe evacuation from Limerick was impossible. NRC testified at Limerick’s 1980 public hearing that Limerick had double the population density for a safe evacuation. NRC admitted that people within 30 miles would be harmed. Things are far worse now, since the population around Limerick has increased dramatically in the past 35 years.
Thomas Sullivan, Montgomery County Director of Public Safety, testified at a public hearing for Limerick Nuclear Plant relicensing in 2011 that many local, county, and state roads used for evacuation that feed the local highways were no longer suitable for the amount of traffic that Limerick’s EPZ evacuation could produce. Traffic conditions have worsened, yet in 2015 Thomas Sullivan, claimed, “Because of the Limerick generating plant, we have robust plans…” (Mercury 2-23-15), dismissing potential dangers associated with the transport of crude oil. The serious problems and flaws with Limerick’s Emergency and Evacuation plans have been ignored by Mr. Sullivan and others.
WILLFUL BLINDNESS IS JEOPARDIZING OUR FUTURE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ADDED RISK FROM A BOMB TRAIN DISASTER
The Mercury article of Feb. 23, “We just have to hope that nothing happens” has profound implications to everyone in the Greater Philadelphia Region. We applaud the March 1 Mercury editorial conclusion, “Clearly, hope is not enough to maintain safety…”
So-called “bomb trains” containing up to 3 million gallons of explosive, flammable, hazardous crude oil travel right through Pottstown and the Limerick Nuclear Plant Site. A derailment, explosion and days-long fire ball near Limerick’s reactors and deadly fuel pools could trigger simultaneous meltdowns with catastrophic radioactive releases. Millions of Greater Philadelphia Region residents could lose everything forever.
Days of thick black smoke from a crude oil fire could be devastating. Even Occidental Chemical’s large vinyl chloride accidents (seven-tenths of a mile from Limerick) caused problems at Limerick, according to employees, some of whom are very worried about crude oil train derailments.
Risks are increasing. Emergency responders are smart to be concerned. They shouldn’t be expected to be on the front lines of such devastating uncontrollable disasters.
Train derailment disasters should be anticipated. Sixty-five tank cars bound for Philadelphia had loose, leaking, or missing safety components to prevent flammable, hazardous contents from escaping (Hazmat report – last two years). A fuel-oil train already derailed a few miles from Philadelphia.
Heat from the rupture and ignition of one 30,000-gallon car can set off a chain reaction, causing other cars to explode, releasing a days-long fireball. Basically, responders must let it burn out.
Over 100 railcars, estimated to hold three million gallons, regularly sit on tracks from the Dollar General in Stowe to Montgomery County Community College.
ProPublica data from the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (2011-2014) shows incidents in over 250 municipalities. The worst of eight major crude oil train accidents include:
• A train derailment and explosion killed 47 and destroyed 30 buildings in Quebec.
• 2,300 residents were evacuated in North Dakota. The fireball was observed states away.
Safer trains aren’t the answer. A new safer-design derailed February 2015 in West Virginia, despite adhering to the speed limit. Hundreds of families had to flee their homes in frigid weather. Burning continued for days. Drinking water and electricity were lost. Leaking crude oil poisoned the water supply. Fireballs erupted from crumbled tank cars, underscoring volatility of crude oil’s propane, butane, etc.
Safe evacuation from our densely populated region is an illusion. Limerick Nuclear Plant’s evacuation plan is unworkable and unrealistic, not robust as claimed by a health official. Just consider work hour traffic combined with deteriorated roads and bridges. We encourage officials to visit www.acereport.org to view ACE’s 2012 video-blog series on the reality of Limerick’s evacuation plan. For a graphic presentation call (610) 326-2387.
Who pays to deal with irreversible devastation from train derailments and meltdowns? Clearly, not the oil industry, nuclear industry, railroad or government. We’d be on our own, despite:
1. Long-term ecological damage that would leave ghost towns that can’t be cleaned up safely.
2. Risking the vital drinking water resource for almost two million people (Pottstown to Philadelphia).
3. Millions of people losing their homes, businesses and health.
Richard Lengel, Pottstown’s Fire Chief, admitted, “If something catastrophic happens, there’s no municipality along the railroad that can handle it, the volume [crude oil] is too great. We just have to hope that nothing happens, honestly.”
Hope is no solution! Neither is denying the reality of our unacceptable devastating risks.
The catastrophic disasters we face can, and must, be prevented with foresight and political will to face the facts and take action. Enough of corporate profits jeopardizing public safety.
Wake up! Speak up! Tell local, state and federal elected officials to stop this insanity!
Say no to dangerous crude oil trains traveling through our communities and the Limerick site.
Say no to continued Limerick Nuclear Plant operations to avoid meltdowns that can be triggered by cyber/terrorist attacks, embrittled/cracking reactors, earthquakes and now oil-train explosions/fires.
Truth and Consequences of Radiation From Meltdowns Must Be Fully Disclosed So That People In The Greater Philadelphia Region Begin To Understand Why More Protective Limerick Nuclear Plant Emergency and Evacuation Planning Is Imperative
· The Pattern of Unethical Deception About Radiation Exposure After Meltdowns Has Created Disastrous Situations, Needlessly Magnifying Harms For Millions.
Victims Were Not Evacuated Soon Enough or Far Enough Away From Meltdowns. They Suffered Needlessly.
People Failed To Take Precautionary Actions Because They Were Lied To About Radiation Releases.
· Cover-Ups, Lies, and Secrecy About Radiation Releases and Their Consequences From Meltdowns Must Be Revealed – It’s About Ethics, Human Rights, and Minimizing Harms.
· Government and the Nuclear Industry Deceive The Public. They Manipulate Public Opinion To Reduce Opposition to Nuclear Power To Prevent Collapse of the Nuclear Industry.
· Deaths and Harmful Health Impacts Have Been Deliberately Underestimated – Using Dilution, Discounting Internal Radiation Exposure, Ignoring Diseases Other Than Cancer, Using Deceptive Testing and Estimates.
· The Truth About Consequences of Meltdowns Has Been Suppressed and Withheld – Through Worldwide Censorship of Media and Misleading Industry Propaganda That Denies Reality.
Once a Large Amount of Radiation Enters An Ecosystem It Quickly Becomes Widespread, Contaminating Water, Soil, Plants, Animals, and People
· Radiation is invisible – It also can’t be tasted, smelled, or felt by victims.
· Evidence shows radiation from meltdowns contaminates air, water, soil, and food hundreds of miles away from meltdowns.
· As Radiation moves up the food chain, it Bioaccumulates, Bioconcentrates, and Biomagnifies
· Example: Ingestion of foods contaminated with even “low levels” of radioactive cesium leads to bioaccumulation in the liver, kidneys, small intestines, pancreas, spleen, and heart and endocrine tissues.
· Children are most susceptible to effects of radiation on their internal organs.
· There is “NO SAFE RADIATION DOSE” according to The National Academy of Sciences, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and other experts.
People In The Greater Philadelphia Region Must Have Immediate Notification Of A Limerick Nuclear Plant
Radiation Accident or Meltdown With Expanded Evacuation and Ingestion Pathway Zones
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Has Lost All Credibility
NRC’S LUDICROUS DECEPTION
Fukushima was the worst nuclear disaster in history, expected by independent experts to have worse radiation consequences than Chernobyl – estimated to have released radiation 20 times Chernobyl.
Soon after Fukushima’s meltdowns started, many Japanese people far beyond the evacuation zone started showing signs of radiation poisoning, especially children. Related deaths were certified by officials in 13 Prefectures.
Yet, NRC Told 3,000 Nuclear Experts From 34 Countries:
Fukushima Did Not Result In Big Radiation Doses to the General Population. Immediate Health Consequences Were “Very Close To Nothing,” With “Little To No” Long-Term Health Effects.
Probably Met NRC Safety Goals.
NRC Needs New Standards For Fukushima Type Disasters.
How Can We Believe NRC About Anything?
NRC Protects Nuclear Industry Profits At The Expense Of Public Health and Safety
· NRC is failing in its mission to protect public health and safety.
· In spite of credible evidence from Chernobyl and Fukushima meltdowns proving radiation released travels hundreds of miles and has devastating impacts on health, especially for children, and in spite of NRC warning U.S. citizens to evacuate 50 miles from Fukushima, NRC is still denying the need to expand U.S. evacuation zones beyond 10 miles and ingestion pathway zones beyond 50 miles.
· NRC disregards reliable independent scientific research and fails to fully disclose harmful impacts from routine and accidental radiation releases with deceptively designed word-smithing.
NRC is using industry biased studies to deceive the public about actual consequences of radiation exposure from meltdowns.
NRC is refusing to provide more realistic protective planning for Limerick Nuclear Plant and others.
$1.65 million was awarded through grants from the Department of Energy Nuclear Energy University Programs and $450,000 was awarded through graduate student fellowships. “Scholarship for Nuclear Communications and Methods for Evaluation of Nuclear Project Acceptability” will develop a model to characterize the factors affecting social acceptance of nuclear projects by potential stakeholders.
NRC’s response to Fukushima meltdowns was to ignore reality and arrange for MIT do a selection-bias study, using a 35-day short-term mouse study to make it seem as if impacts from radiation exposure are harmless. The MIT study excluded extensive evidence of genetic damage to humans living in a radiation-contaminated environment. Nineteen groups of Children from Chernobyl showed lasting genetic damage from radiation.
A Radioactive Conflict of Interest (June 25th, 2012)
Having the Energy Department control radiation health research makes as much sense as giving tobacco companies the authority to see if smoking is bad for you.
MIT Confronted With Its Malpractice of Science (June 25, 2012)
The MIT Radiation Study Was Confronted With Its Malpractice Of Science. The Study Protocol was flawed. It’s the worst kind of bias, the kind paid to ignore human suffering. “It’s difficult to get someone to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”
· The use of genetically altered FYDR mice for one portion of the study but not the comparison groups.
· The wide range in the numbers of mice used in the comparison groups.
· The time frame was too short (Tanaka paper)
· External radiation was the only radiation studied. Internal radiation was not studied, but presents the bigger risk.
· The study left out crucial information that children may have a 3-fold higher risk for damage from radiation at half the accumulated MIT dose.
Independent Research And Evidence Dispel MIT’s Radiation Deception:
A body of independent research on radiation, as well as evidence from actual meltdowns, reveal the truth and consequences of radiation exposure from nuclear plants like Limerick.
· There is NO safe level of radiation exposure, according to the National Academy of Sciences and Physicians for Social Responsibility.
· Ionizing radiation from nuclear plants damages living things and can contaminate the environment permanently.
· Nuclear Plant radiation mutates genes which can cause genetic damage across generations.
· U.S. and European studies have all shown increases in cancer around nuclear facilities.
· Drastic increases in cancer are documented, especially in children, in communities near Limerick Nuclear Plant and Montgomery County, home of Limerick Nuclear Plant , since Limerick Nuclear Plant started operating in1985. (See ACE Website Download #2: “Cancer – Skyrocketing Increases: Links to Limerick”)
Human Health Consequences Resulting From Radiation Releases After Meltdowns At Fukushima, Chernobyl, and Three Mile Island Have Been Revealed By Independent Research:
· Based on the amount of radiation releases over 1.5 million excess cancers are expected from Fukushima.
· Over 1.5 million excess cancers occurred over 25 years from Chernobyl, “Consequences To People And The Environment” – New York Academy of Science nyas.org/annals
· Partial meltdown at TMI may have caused 50,000 to 100,000 excess deaths. Read: “Deadly Deceit: Low Level Radiation – High Level Cover-up” by Jay Gould and Ben Goldman, 1990
Radiation and Public Health Project Director, Joseph Mangano’s Two Excellent Books Reveal Truth And Consequences About Radiation Exposure
· “RADIOACTIVE BABY TEETH: THE CANCER LINK”
The Only Study Of Radiation Levels In Bodies Of Americans Living Near Nuclear Plants – Includes Data On Limerick Nuclear Plant.
· “MAD SCIENCE: THE NUCLEAR POWER EXPERIMENT”
Includes An Account of Consequences From Nuclear Accidents and Meltdowns, Plus A Point-by-Point Refutation of Pro-Nuke Arguments.
“There Is NO Safe Level Of Radionuclide Exposure Whether From Food, Water, Or Other Sources. PERIOD!”
Dr. Jeff Patterson, Former President of Physicians for Social Responsibility, Said:
Exposure to Radionuclides, like Iodine-131 and Cesium-137, INCREASES Risk of Cancer.”
Radiation Exposure Can Affect The Whole Body
The broad range of radionuclides that are present in radioactive releases from nuclear power plants have been linked to damage to: Bladder, Bone, Brain, Breast, Kidneys, Liver, Lungs, Muscles, Ovaries, Pancreas, Skin, Spleen, Thyroid
Radiation Sickness Symptoms Appear in One to Four Weeks and Can Be Mistaken for Other Illnesses Like the Flu:
· Within the first twenty-four hours, symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever, etc.
· Within one to four weeks, symptoms can include dizziness, disorientation, weakness and fatigue, hair loss, bloody vomit and stools, infections, poor wound healing, and low blood pressure.
There Is No Way to Undo Damaging Effects Of Radiation Exposure
To Minimize Exposure
· Time Limit Exposure
· Distance Between You and Radiation
· Shielding Learn About Best Sheltering Procedures
For Radiation Exposure Summaries See: www.acereport.org
#1 Radiation – Limerick’s Routine Releases
#3 Radiation – No Safe dose
#4 Radiation – Reduce Risk
Over 8 Million People Live Within 50 Miles Of Limerick
How Close Do You Live To Limerick Nuclear Plant?
See Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Radiation Plume Map www.nrdc.org
RADIATION EXPOSURE CAN BE MINIMIZED
RELATED TO A LIMERICK ACCIDENT / MELTDOWN
WITH MORE PROTECTIVE UP-FRONT EMERGENCY AND EVACUATION PLANNING
Contact Elected Officials Today To Demand That NRC Require More Protective Emergency Planning Including:
1. Immediate Public Notification By Exelon and NRC
2. Independent Radiation Monitoring With Electronic
Radiation Alert System
3. A 50-Mile Evacuation Zone
4. A 100-Mile Ingestion Pathway Zone
Fukushima and Chernobyl Meltdowns Prove Radioactive Fallout Traveled Far Greater Distances Than 50 Miles. The Radioactive Ingestion Pathway Went Far Beyond 100 Miles.
Facts About Fukushima Fallout:
· Japan’s long-lived radiation contaminated more than 11,500 square miles. (Reported 11-11)
· An area almost the size of Connecticut (some 4,500 square miles) was found to have radiation levels exceeding Japan’s shameful highly inflated allowable radiation limit.
· The radioactively-contaminated exclusion zones surrounding Fukushima cover more than 300 square miles.
Facts About Chernobyl Fallout:
· Evacuations spread over the years as far as 200 miles away from the reactor. Approximately 350,400 people were evacuated from the areas surrounding Chernobyl.
· 80 square miles were declared too radioactive for human habitation and declared a permanent “exclusion” zone.
Yet, Limerick’s Emergency and Evacuation Zone Remains Set At Only 10-Miles. Limerick’s Ingestion Pathway Zone Remains Set At Just 50 Miles. This Is Negligence!
1974 Reactor Safety Study Published by NRC (Referred To As The Rasmussen Report)
While no agency is taking responsibility for attempting to clean up after a nuclear disaster, all these agencies ignore or miss the fact that nuclear “accidents” NEVER end. Will they ever admit that a nuclear plant worst case scenario is likely to be just too bad to clean up?
NRC and Industry’s Attempt To Hide The Real Risk From Nuclear Plant Radiation
Bogus Comparisons:
· The nuclear industry and NRC intentionally ignore and deny harms from continuous routine radiation exposure from nuclear plant releases. They repeatedly, absurdly dismiss harm from continuous exposure to over 100 radionuclides routinely discharged from nuclear plants and make bogus comparisons to radiation from sunshine, X-rays, and airplane trips.
· The broad range of nuclear plant radionuclides routinely released cause additive, cumulative, and synergistic internal and external radiation damage. Once in the ecosystem, people living in the region of a nuclear plant cannot avoid these exposures. They cannot see it, taste it, feel it, or smell it.
