Long-term study confirms that SRS is safe for area communities

A recently issued independent study confirms what most of us have known: Radiation risks for residents living or working near Savannah River Site are so low, they can't be separated from everyday background radiation, and it causes no adverse health effects.

This confirmation comes from a landmark study that the federal government initiated more than a dozen years ago.

At the request of the Department of Energy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiated the Savannah River Site Dose Reconstruction Project in 1992. This project is an ambitious, detailed examination of what sort of estimated radiation dose has been received by residents near SRS - and, in turn, its associated cancer risks - from plutonium, tritium and other radioactive materials produced by the plant from 1954-1992. The first two phases of the research were performed for CDC by the Radiological Assessment Corporation, an organization with expertise in examining historical radiation releases.

THESE INDEPENDENT researchers combed through mountains of site records and interviewed many past workers to piece together a comprehensive picture of the site's past releases from basic data. It is an intriguing scientific puzzle that has been assembled with great care and diligence.

Following the completion of the RAC report on the releases from SRS, and its independent review by the National Academy of Sciences, the CDC employed another organization to evaluate radiation doses to the public from releases as reported by RAC.

This study, now in a final draft form, has just been through a public comment period. In addition to public comments, the CDC also plans to have a third qualified party review the report for technical accuracy.

The study shows that residents living near or working at the site don't have a statistically significant higher risk of cancer than anyone else. As a matter of fact, the report concludes that the levels of radiation are so low that their risks can't be distinguished from naturally occurring radiation.

THUS, THIS report confirms many other independent studies that have shown SRS, other DOE sites and commercial nuclear power sites like Vogtle do not have an adverse health effect on surrounding communities. This, of course, directly contradicts the "study" reported in The Augusta Chronicle on July 30, "Study ties fatalities to nuclear power site."

You may have missed the news of this CDC report because it hasn't received a lot of attention from the media. However, this positive news should be shared because it shows that people who live in our communities in close proximity to SRS and Plant Vogtle have no reason to be concerned. I live here, and I know this news is important to me. I'm sure it's important to you, too.

(Editor's note: The writer chairs the board of directors for Citizens Nuclear Technology Awareness in Aiken, S.C.)