nuclear-news

Canada’s government kept mum about Fukushima radiation fallout

 he’s asking questions about rain which fell on Calgary shortly after the nuclear disaster last March, containing radioactive iodine well above the Health Canada guidelines for drinking water.

“There are certain people who might be concerned — for instance, a pregnant woman,” 

Fukushima fallout hit home   Nuclear critic says Health Canada should have issued warning on radioactive raindrops  BY MICHAEL PLATT ,CALGARY SUN, 22 Jan 12,  There’s no need to panic — probably.

But not knowing whether to shrug or cower over radioactive iodine falling on Calgary as a result of a meltdown in Japan last year has Canada’s top nuclear critic wondering why.

“There’s no need to be concerned, but what you should be concerned about is why the authorities are so quick to dismiss it,” says Dr. Gordon Edwards.

“Why aren’t they just reporting this stuff and not commenting — they
seem to take it upon themselves to deny there’s any danger, even
enough to let people know what’s happening.”…… he’s asking
questions about rain which fell on Calgary shortly after the nuclear
disaster last March, containing radioactive iodine well above the
Health Canada guidelines for drinking water.

Officially, Calgarians have nothing much to worry about.

Health Canada hasn’t even released the data, saying it’s too small an
amount to be worthy of public comment — and the same silence has
applied for much of the Canadian data collected so far.

And while Edwards technically agrees there’s little need to worry, he
says that should be something Calgarians and Canadians can decide for
themselves.

“There are certain people who might be concerned — for instance, a
pregnant woman,” said Edwards.

“When a baby is growing inside, that baby should not be getting a dose
of radiation at a critical moment of development, because when an
embryo gets radiation, one damaged cell can multiply.

“A fetus is far more susceptible to radiation. Is a fetus likely to be
harmed by this level of radiation? No, but could it be, yes.”

Health Canada confirms that last March, after the Fukushima nuclear
accident, a Calgary monitoring station detected an average of 8.18
becquerels per litre of radioactive iodine, stemming from Japan.

Canadian guidelines limit exposure to six becquerels of iodine per
litre of drinking water, and much lower radiation spikes in the U.S.
resulted in a “don’t drink the rainwater” order.

But not here.

Edwards says Calgarians should at least have known there was a spike
beyond recommended levels, especially as rain-bourne radiation
concentrates in vegetation and the food chain……    Only in Calgary
did the Fukushima fallout push rain past the Canadian limit for
drinking water — yet not enough for Health Canada to issue a
warning…… http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/01/21/platt-fukushima-fallout-hit-home

January 24, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, secrets,lies and civil liberties