[The Bess]

Radiation report flawed


The StarPhoenixJune 27, 2009



The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) disagrees with the stated conclusions of the article, Nuke plants hike cancer risk: report (SP, June 23), concerning health risks to nuclear plant workers. Canadian nuclear workers are healthier than the general Canadian population and there is no evidence that people living near nuclear power stations have increased risk of any disease.

The CNSC was surprised that the report failed to mention the important conclusion of the 15-country study (IARC study) that Canadian nuclear workers have a 24 per cent lower risk of all cancers in comparison to the Canadian population.

The CNSC acknowledges the influence that the Canadian workers data had on the validity of the results of the IARC study and has initiated an analysis to understand the apparent differences in the risk estimates between Canadian and other nuclear workers. However, there is no evidence that Canadian nuclear workers have a higher risk of developing cancer than workers in other countries or the Canadian population in general.

Several studies conducted in Canada on potential health effects of nuclear facilities on the public have shown that rates of mortality and disease like cancer are similar to those of the general population. The report also failed to note that the authors of the recent German study and the German Commission on Radiological Protection ruled out radiation exposure as a cause for childhood leukemia. In addition, studies conducted in the U.K. and France, using the same methodology as the German study, did not find any increase in risk.

The Canadian nuclear industry is strongly regulated by the CNSC and as a consequence workers and the Canadian public are protected. For more information, please visit nuclearsafety.gc.ca.

Michael Binder

President and CEO

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
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