Low level radiation, SAS call for the truth!

Surfers Against Sewage are today condemning two South West Health Authorities for their apparent lack of concern for the health of the residents of Plymouth. SAS can reveal that the Authorities have given the green light to plans to increase nuclear waste discharges into the River Tamar, despite admitting that they cannot be 100% sure of the facts.

The Health Authorities' go-ahead was given in their response to an Environment Agency consultation document concerning an application by Devonport Management Ltd (DML) to increase nuclear waste discharges from their submarine refitting site at Devonport Dockyard.
The Authorities admit that they are unable to correctly assess the hazard of low level radioactive waste because models used to calculate risks are not robust. "Estimates of risk for low-level exposures are based on uncertain extrapolations and require assumptions about the shape of the dose-effect relationship and about the mechanism of radiation carcinogenesis".

Vicky Garner of SAS said today;
"The debate is much wider than the current situation in Plymouth. Nuclear bases all around the UK are discharging so called low level radioactive waste, rated as insignificant by officials, but highly dangerous by independent scientists. It's time for the true picture to be revealed".

"At Plymouth we are talking about a 500% increase in the amount of radioactive tritium being discharged into the River Tamar. This is of great concern to SAS when according to emerging evidence, the hazard presented by tritium is far greater than is acknowledged by Government or radiation officials. We therefore not only condemn the Health Authorities for giving the go-ahead to DML's proposal, we also condemn the Government for their apparent lack of drive to uncover the real facts".

"When you consider that tritium is discharged at many nuclear facilities around the UK, in vast amounts, you have to ask whether it is simply convenient for Government and officials to ignore growing scientific evidence". The E.A. consultation period ends on July 4th, but SAS are hoping that the final decision of whether DML get the green light or not, will not be down to the Agency.
"SAS want a Public Inquiry. There is too much uncertainty surrounding tritium. When we are talking about cancer and leukaemia we can't afford to be uncertain. It's time to bring the whole low-level radiation debate to the fore, we want to know what the real risks are and there is no way a real risk can be determined if the assessment of risk is based on assumptions. We cannot afford to gamble with life".