Local Doctor speaks out on radioactive waste plans
At UPHE, we are all about amplifying the voice of medical science, and ensuring that is considered in every aspect of planning Utah’s future. A local pediatrician is speaking out to do the same regarding Utah’s plans to store radioactive waste from another country in Tooele County.
Hanna Saltzman, MD wrote to the Salt Lake Tribune, “Research shows that children are more sensitive to radiation than adults, which puts kids at higher risk for both short-term and long-term health consequences. Because children’s bodies are still developing, parts of their bodies — such as the thyroid, bone marrow, breast and brain — are at higher risk of radiation-related cancers. Studying the health effects of chronic, low-level radiation exposure is difficult. But a recent meta-analysis found that people living near nuclear power plants had an increased risk of cancer, with the highest cancer risk among children under 5 years old.
“These disturbing results aren’t referring to consequences of high-dose radiation from a nuclear disaster. Rather, the data is suggesting that continual exposure to low-level radiation from power plants — i.e. radiation within regulatory limits, with levels typically considered too low to cause problems like cancer — may be more harmful than we previously realized.”
Thank you for speaking up for Utah’s children, Dr. Saltzman. We hope the Utah legislature is listening.
This radioactive waste plan isn’t the only gamble Utah is considering taking with our health. They’re considering plans for nuclear power plants in Brigham City. Every phase of the nuclear fuel cycle, from the mining of uranium to the storage of toxic waste and decommissioning of the reactors releases radioactivity into the broad environment, i.e. our air, water and soil, even without any accidents.