UCC Brief to Cabinet—Epidemiological Health Study

[Oscar]

Brief to Cabinet—Epidemiological Health Study Feb. 27, 2007.

We strongly recommend that the Saskatchewan Government initiate its own epidemiological health study of the 12,000 member group of recent and current uranium miners in Saskatchewan.

2. Dr. Geoffrey Howe, specialist, recently updated and revised the Eldorado Miners’ Cohort (Mar.16,2006) and found that from the 17,660 early workers, some 5332 deaths were reported from 1950—1999, plus 2,335 more cancer cases, and there has been an additional 618 lung cancer death since then, with more to come from the three-quarters of those miners still living.

3. Regarding this cohort, Dr. Howe states that the risk for lung cancer among these miners is “30 % higher than the general population.” (pp. 19, 51).

4. For 30 years the AECL monitored and maintained low-level radiation doses for 13,570 employees, and 928 died from lung cancer. (American.Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 8, No.6, pp. 1364-75).

5. The BEIR VII Report (U.S. Academy of Science) concluded, “The scientific research base shows that there is no threshold of exposure below which low levels of ionized radiation can be demonstrated to be harmless or beneficial.” (June 2005) Many people still think that a low radiation dose means low risk. They have not comprehended the reverse-logic of the supralinear threshold, where the low dose is as dangerous as a high dose. A high dose kills cells, which the body replaces. A low dose damages, but does not replace cells, which 15-20 years later, may turn cancerous.

6. The European Committee on Radiation Risk (ECRR-2003) concludes that the risk estimates of the ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection—(1953) are deficient and outdated. The ICRP bases its risk estimates on external radiation exposure, while the ECRR contends that adjustments need to be made for internal radiation, e.g. to interior lung tissues by radon gas. The ECRR states that the risk estimates of the ICRP and CNSC were drawn up before the discovery of DNA. (p.23)

We believe that the Saskatchewan Government does not want to be seen as not caring about the risk of lung cancers for its uranium miners. The miners themselves need more comprehensive knowledge of the risks involved in their trade. We all need to know more accurately, what is actually happening to our miners now.

Presented by Dr. Bill Adamson,
on behalf of the Saskatchewan Conference of the United Church of Canada.

Resolution No. 13

Title: Radiation and the Health of Saskatchewan Uranium Workers

From: Saskatchewan Division of Mission

Action: Approved by the Saskatchewan Conference of the United Church,
Preeceville, Sask. on May 26, 2006.

Whereas, an epidemiological health study was done for 8,487 uranium miners and workers in the Beaverlodge area, involving 73 different mine sites from 1951 until 1982, which showed lung cancer at twice the normal average, and this Study has been under revision by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission since the year 2000; (1) and

Whereas, several epidemiological health studies were done on 21,346 miners of uranium at Elliott Lake and Bancroft from 1932 till 1967, with the conclusion that uranium miners were at 3 times the risk of the average citizen for lung cancer, and that exposure to lower dose rates (of radiation) is more hazardous than exposure at higher does rates; (2) and

Whereas, an epidemiological health study was carried out for 13,570 employees of the Atomic Energy Co. Ltd. (AECL) covering a period of 31 years, who had always been monitored for low-levels of radiation, yet 948 had died from cancer, some 9.8% of those employees.(3) and

Whereas, in 1997 a Saskatchewan Uranium Miners Cohort (SUMC) was set up to study the heath and mortality of recent mine and mill workers ( Cluff Lake, Rabbit Lake, McClean Lake, Key Lake, McArthur River, and Cigar Lake) which received high commendation from Dr. Donald Lee, chairperson of the Joint Federal-Provincial Panel on Uranium Mining who mentioned it 4 times in his report; (4) and

Whereas, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, in June 2005, cancelled the study on the basis of a Consultant’s Report which stated that there was little chance that the relatively low number of workers (12,000?) and low known exposures, could be used to generate “ a statistically accurate study.”; (5)

Whereas, the European Commission on Radiation Risk (ECRR) issued a Study,
“The Health Effects of Ionizing Radiation at Low Doses and Low Dose rates for Radiation Protection Purposes,” published by Green Audit, 2003, which claims that the current models of the ICRP (International Commission on Radiation Protection) are outmoded and defective, and which presents a new model for assessing radioactive risks; (6) and

Whereas, a recent finding of the BEIR VII Commission (Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation), a sub-committee of the National Academy of Sciences, in
June of 2005, stated that the scientific research base shows that there is no low threshold of radiation exposure which is safe; (7) and

Whereas, these recent findings represent a “sea change,” or a drastic shift in radiation science, they raise questions about present theory and practice of monitoring uranium workers with dosimeters, and that by keeping radiation doses low, that the workers will be relatively safe;

Therefore, be it resolved that Saskatchewan Conference of the United Church of Canada request the Saskatchewan Government to use a portion of its uranium royalties to ascertain the health and welfare of current Saskatchewan Uranium miners through its own epidemiological study.

REFERENCES

(1) Beaverlodge Decommissioned Mine and Mill Site, Commission Member Document (DMC-04-H-23. Sept 16, 2004, pp.1, 3, 4. Also, Oral Supplementary,CMD-04-H-23-1A. pp. 2 & 5. Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Geoffrey R Howe and Ron H. Stager, “Risk of Lung Cancer Mortality Exposure to Radon Decay Products in Beaverlodge Cohort Based on Revised Exposure Estimates,” Radiation Research 146, 37-42 (1996), pp. 37, 41,

Howe, Nair, Newcombe, Miller, & Abbatt, “Lung Cancer Mortality (1950-80) in Relation to Radon Daughter Exposure in a Cohort of Workers at the Eldorado Beaverlodge Uranium Mine,” JNCI, Vol.77, No. 2, August, 1986, pp. 357, 360.

(2) Kusiak, Ritchie, Miller, & Springer, “Mortality from lung cancer in Ontario Uranium miners,” British Journal of Industrial Medicine, 1993; 50: 920-928.

Alan Chovil, B. Chir, “The Epidemiology of Primary Lung Cancer in Uranium Miners in Ontario,” Journal of Occupational Medicine, Vol. 23, No. 6, June, 1981.

Miller, Kusiak, & Ritchie, “Factors Modifying Lung Cancer Risk In Ontario Uranium Miners 1955-1981,” Ontario Ministry of Labour, Workers’ Compensation Board of Ontario, Atomic Energy Control Board of Canada, April 1989, pp. 10, 20.

(3)Howe, Chiarilli, & Lindsay, “Components and Modifiers of the Healthy Worker Effect: Evidence from Three Occupational Cohorts and Implications for Industrial Compensation, “ American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol.128. No. 6. copyright by the John Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, pp. 12366, 1367. .
(4) Dr. Donald Lee, Joint Federal-Provincial Panel on Uranium Mining
Developments in Northern Saskatchewan, November, 1997, Executive Summary, p. 23; Midwest, p. 23; Cigar Lake, p. 95; Cumulative Observations, p. 16.

(5) Backgrounder: Health Studies for Saskatchewan Uranium Miners,” June 2005, Radiation Protection and Environmental Compliance Division, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, pp. 1-6.

(6) “The Health Effects of Ionizing Radiation Exposure at Low Doses and Low Dose Rates for Radiation Protection Purposes: Regulators’ Edition” by the European Commission on Radiation Risk, edited by Chris Busby with Rosalie Bertell, Inge Schmitze-Feuerhake, Molly Scott Cato and Alexei Yablokov, published by Green Audit, 2003.

(7) BEIR VII Panel Report (Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation), U. S. National Academy of Sciences, June 2005, Chairperson, Dr. Richard R. Monson.

[Oscar]

March 5, 2007

I read Mr. Adamson's "Brief to Cabinet—Epidemiological Health Study Feb. 27, 2007" with great sadness.

One of our best friends lost his life to a battle with a brain tumor about a year and a half ago.

He was a high pressure welder and had spent considerable time at Key Lake within the past thirty years.

Many of his co-workers from that local are either ill or have passed on due to cancer also.

Human greed is killing us.

Geraldine Perron
Kelvington, SK

[Oscar]

Monday, March 05, 2007 8:13 PM
Re: Copies of Brief to Cabinet

Dear Geraldine:

My regrets and sympathy for the loss of your friend and colleague.The tragedy of the effects of radiation from uranium mining is that the results do not show up till 10 or 15 or 20 years later. A large dose of radiation kills body cells, so that the body replaces them. A small dose of radiation slightly damages the chromosomes and cells, which many years later may turn cancerous.

This anomaly of the time-lag allows the mine owners and politicians to dodge accountability, otherwise there would be a great hue and cry from the public. Politicians only last for 5 or 10 year terms, then they are gone from office, but the miners catch the danger later on in the long term.

Hopefully, we can pressure our government leaders to do a proper and local study, so as to reveal to everyone the real plight of the situation.

Permission is granted for you to post the copy of the Brief to the Cabinet. We need to get the public informed about the realities of radiation dangers.

Bill Adamson, 805 Acadia Dr., Saskatoon.