Green Groups Say New EPA Radiation Standards Triple Cancer Risks

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RIA Novosti, PUBLISHED 05.08.2014

Green groups have expressed concern about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plans to weaken radiation standards at nuclear plants, which could lead to a three-fold increase in cancer risk for people in the surrounding areas, according to The Hill newspaper.

“The EPA admits that radiation is much more likely to cause cancer than was believed when the rule was originally written,” Dan Hirsch, the president of nuclear watchdog group Committee to Bridge the Gap, was quoted as saying by the newspaper. “So it's perplexing that rather than tightening the rule, they're proposing to weaken it further.”

The EPA said earlier this year that it was considering updating “Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Nuclear Power Operations,” requesting public comment on the forthcoming change.

A collective letter from about 70 environmental groups was sent to Gina McCarthy, the head of the EPA, on August 3, asking her to reconsider the new rules.

Under the current standards, about one in every 500 people exposed to radiation develops cancer, but there are fears the new rules would increase the number, Hirsch said.

The existing EPA radiation standards have not been updated since 1977, when they were originally issued to limit public radiation exposure from normal nuclear power plant operations.

Topics: Safety

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