14. May 2000

Statement Opposing the deterioration of the radiation protection system by ICRP

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is maneuvering to change the radiation protection system fundamentally for the worse. The plan is to begin their open campaign at the 10th Conference for International Radiological Protection Association which is being held from the 15 to 19 of May in Hiroshima. On 17 May, ICRP Chairman, Mr. Roger Clark is scheduled to give a speech for the deterioration of the protection system at the hall inside the Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima. We oppose making this speech as it is the first step towards achieving consensus for their plot. The change for the worse involves, (a) abolishing "dose limits" (1 milliSievert [mSv] per year for the public, and 20 mSv per year for radiation workers [in Japan, it is still 50 mSv/yr] ) and introducing an "action level" (30 mSv per year) which is nothing more than a "political and practical threshold dose." This will allow everyone to be exposed legally up to 30 mSv even . (b) Furthermore, they also plan to abolish the estimates for "collective dose." These will force more exposure to radiations on residents and workers. Their true aim is to keep the massive costs of nuclear waste disposal which results as of the decommissioning of nuclear power plants at a minimum. This is not only a quantitative alleviation maneuver, but also a fundamental change for the worse to the essential framework of the current radiation protection system. This change will give a free-hand to governments and the nuclear industry to expose residents and workers to almost unlimited amounts of radiations. So, we are firmly opposed to thes deterioration of the protection system by the ICRP. We in Japan are especially offended by the fact that they selected Hiroshima as the place to start their campaign for these undesirable changes for the worse, where the atomic bombing was made firstly in the world over the human beings, in order to cut down the number of victims exposed to ionizing radiations. By ignoring radiation hazard at Tokai-mura criticality accident in JCO plant, the Japanese government and their retained scholars have acted in advance of the changes for the worse of radiation protection system. They behave as if they were the ICRP's willing tool. It is extremely inappropriate that the same scholars who were responsible for cutting down the number of victims of radiations at the Tokai-mura accident are acting as hosts of this conference to worsen the radiation protection system. It will be difficult for such a conference to give a scientific and justifiable conclusion on the reasonable protection system. In the Tokai-mura criticality accident, a number of the general public and workers were exposed to radiations. Up to now two workers have died as a direct result of the exposure in this accident. Residents in the area around the plant, were forcibly exposed to radiations as a result of the miss lead of the government in the emergency. Even in our modest estimations (which doubles the risk of neutrons used by the Science and Technology Agency [STA], Japan, according to ICRP statement in Paris 1985), at least more than 1,000 of people were exposed more than 1 mSv of radiations. In Tokai-mura, a number of people experienced unusual symptoms of their physical condition immediately after the accident. Furthermore, there are increasing strong concerns on whether they may come down with leukemia or cancer within the next few years or possibly in the next 10 to 20 years. However, the Japanese government has been ignoring the appeals from the residents. On 31 March, the Health Management Investigation Committee completed a "final report" which drastically cuts down the number of victims of radiation and tries to bury them in the dark. The "final report" (a) underestimates or ignores the significant possible effect of neutrons to the human body, (b) establishes a practical and political "threshold dose" of 50-200 mSv, (c) intentionally avoids using a collective risk assessment, and ignores the existing risk of cancer deaths. Starting from the hypothesis that radiation damage will never become apparent, they conclude that there is absolutely no need for special health management for the residents. In addition, they intend to make this into an exposure management guide line for future nuclear accidents. Members of the Health Management Investigation Committee are Japan's representatives at the ICRP and they are responsible for organizing this conference. They are working as the leaders to worsen the radiation protection system. For example; "It is no problem to ignore anybody who was exposed to less than 50 mSv," "If Mr. Clark was here, the threshold dose of 100 mSv will become easily common sense as a practical." These are statements in the committee by NAGATAKI SHIGENOBU (Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Chairman of the Health Management Investigation Committee ). They have cut off the victims of the Tokai-mura criticality accident. Governments which promote nuclear power and the nuclear industry ,in particular of U.S., are pressuring the ICRP to relax substantially the present radiation protection system. Above all, they oppose the "no threshold dose" theory (which involves common knowledge that there is no safe level in radiation exposure), and risk assessment according to "collective dose" (the proper assessment method which takes into account the entire population of people who are exposed to radiation and the entire length of time which they were exposed to the radiation), which are the premises of the present radiation protection system of the ICRP. Their true aim is so simple that they want to destroy the present system in order to save money by reducing the extremely high costs of activities such as the cleanup of nuclear accidents and daily radioactive releases, and the disposal of a large amount of radioactive wastes from reprocessing, decommissioning of nucler plants and the closure of weapons fabrication plants. By posing large amounts of radiation on to the general public and radiation workers, they aim to keep down the massive costs of disposing of the large amount of nuclear waste that they are responsible for generating. On the other hand, the radiation hazard on the people from the Chernobyl accident and around the Sellafield reprocessing plant is found to be more and more serious. The cause and effect relationship is reveal to be more and more evident. The current situation shows that the existing radiation protection system is still insufficient to protect people's health. Recent scientific knowledge evidently shows that very low level of radiation can bring out various types of damage or health hazards. It also indicates that there is possibility that the effects can be inherited on to descendants and accumulate over time, even in the case of human beings. However, on the other hand, in spite of being aware of the scientific reality of the "no threshold dose," Clark and the ICRP are trying to get rid of the present regulation framework. It is nothing more than a political and authoritative forcing of the "threshold dose" which has no scientific proof. This logic is apparently fabricated in order to enable govts and the nuclear industry to let residents and workers be legally exposed to radiations. By abolishing the "collective dose" on the ground of "individual base" protection, they are cutting off the effects to a large number of individuals, include future generations of people, that are evaluated only in the way of probability. We are strongly opposed to this deterioration by the ICRP. We do not accept the cutting off of the radiation exposed victims of the Tokai-mura criticality accident. Together with other anti-nuclear power groups, anti-nuclear weapons groups, and other environmental protection groups from around the world, we will fight to stop the ICRP's fundamental change for the worse of radiation protection system. 　　Plutonium Action Hiroshima 　　　　　　　　PO. Box 1, Konan Post Office, Hiroshima 739-1491, Japan 　　　　　　　　TEL/FAX : +81-82-828-2603 E-mail: dogwood@muc.biglobe.ne.jp 　　Hannan Chuou Hospital Support Group for Victims of Toukai Criticality Accident 　　　　　　　　3-3-28, Minami-shinmachi, Matsubara city, Osaka, Japan 　　　　　　　　TEL/FAX:+81+723-31-1919 E-mail: hannanun@osk4.3web.ne.jp 　　Osaka Citizens against the Mihama, Oi and Takahama Nuclear Power Plants (Mihama No Kai) 　　　　　　　　First Floor Seiko Building 4-3-3 Nishi-Temma, Kita-ku, Osaka,530-0047, Japan 　　　　　　　　TEL:+81-6-6367-6580; FAX:+81-6-6367-6581 E-mail: mihama@jca.apc.org

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