ML090540443

"Draft Supplement" is not in the list (Request, Draft Request, Supplement, Acceptance Review, Meeting, Withholding Request, Withholding Request Acceptance, RAI, Draft RAI, Draft Response to RAI, ...) of allowed values for the "Project stage" property.

Comment (1) of Joseph J. Mangano, on Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Regarding License Renewal for Indian Point 2 & 3 Nuclear Reactors

ML090540443
Person / Time
Site:	Indian Point
Issue date:	02/18/2009
From:	Mangano J Radiation & Public Health Project
To:	Rulemaking, Directives, and Editing Branch
References
73FR80440 00001
Download: ML090540443 (6)

Text

NRCREP Resource, From:

Joseph Mangano [odiejoe@aol.com]

(1.

Sent:

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 3:22 PM F:i To:

NRCREP Resource

Subject:

Response from "Comment on NRC Documents" Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by Joseph Mangano (odiejoe@aol.com) on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 15:21:55<9 DocumentTitle: Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Indian Point Re-Licensing Comments: TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH J. MANGANO TO THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ON THE DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT REGARDING LICENSE RENEWAL FOR THE INDIAN POINT 2 AND 3 NUCLEAR REACTORS Cortlandt Manor NY February 12, 2009 I'm Joseph Mangano, Executive Director of the Radiation and Public Health Project. Scientists and health professionals in our group have published 23 medical journal articles and 7 books on health risks from nuclear reactors.

TheDSEIS assumes that since routine emissions from Indian Point are below federally permitted limits, there were no health risks in the past, and won't be in the next 20 years. There is no hard evidence, no statistical data, in the DSEIS to support this assumption.

Our group elects to conduct research, rather than blindly accept this assumption, near Indian Point and other nuclear plants. To date, we have made several findings:

1. Routine radioactive releases from Indian Point are among the highest of U.S. plants 2. Westchester and Rockland child cancer incidence is significantly above the U.S. rate.

3. The average level of radioactive Strontium-90 in baby teeth local children is among the highest in the U.S.,

and rose sharply after the late 1980s.

Each finding'suggests Indian Point has harmed local residents. Today I present new data on local thyroid cancer rates. For the first time, national county-specific incidence rates are now published (42 states) by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Thyroid cancer can be a red flag for harmful effects of radiation exposure. Specifically, radioactive iodine, only produced in nuclear weapons and reactors, enters the body through breathing and the food chain, and attacks cells in the thyroid gland. A 1997 study by the National Cancer Institute concluded that Iodine-131 from atomic bomb fallout caused as many as 212,000 Americans to develop thyroid cancer.

The great majority of residents in-four New York counties live within 20 miles of Indian Point. According to official CDC data from 2001-2004, three of these counties (Rockland, Orange, and Putnam) have the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd highest thyroid cancer rates in the state. The other county, Westchester, ranks 8th of 62 New York counties.

Local thyroid cancer rates are actually among the highest in the U.S. The four counties rank 5th, 15th, 26th, and 122nd out of 806 counties published by the CDC.

1k 3/

-/*3-

The local thyroid cancer rate was slightly below the state average in the late 1970s, when Indian Point 2 and 3 had just started. Something caused the low local rate, now 67% above the U.S., to rise. Indian Point emissions must be considered as one possible factor.

The high thyroid cancer rate represents a public health problem that officials should address promptly.

Moreover, the DSEIS is incomplete without addressing thyroid cancer and other components of a local h'ealth

'report card".

No decision on license extension should be made until all historical health risks of Indian Point are studied using statistical evidence, and the public is fully informed. The fact that the NRC does not require evidence-based proof of safety as a condition for license extension is poor policy, which may put many lives at risk.

J Thank your for your time. I hope the NRC-will take my comments seriously.

Joseph J. Mangano MPH MBA Executive Director, Radiation and Public Health Project ATTACHMENTS

1. Cancer Incidence Rate, 2001-2004 Counties Closest to Indian Point vs. NYS and U.S.

ALL CANCERS County Cases/Yr Cases/100,000 NY Rank vs Oth NY vs U.S.

Rockland 1555 520.6 22

+ 7.2%

+ 9.9%

Orange 1676 523.4 21

+ 7.7%

+10.5%

Putnam 520 561.6 2

+15.6%

+18.6%

Westchester 5124 495.9 49

+2.1%

+ 4.7%

TOTAL 8875 510.0

+ 5.0%

+ 7.7%

Total NY State = 487.8 Other NY State = 485.8 United States = 473.6 In the four county area, the "Excess" cancer cases is obtained by multiplying 8875 x 4 years = 35,500 total cases, then multiplying by 5.0% (1775 excess cases vs. other NY) and by 7.7% (2734 excess cases vs. U.S.).

THYROID CANCER County Cases/Yr Cases/100,000 NY Rank vs Oth NY vs U.S.

Rockland 55 18.7 1

+101%

+117%

Orange 59 16.5 2

+ 77%

+ 92%

Putnam 16 15.5 3

+ 67%

+ 80%

Westchester 118 12.0 8

+ 29%

+ 40%

TOTAL 248 14.3

+ 54%

+ 67%

Total NY State = 9.7 Other NY State = 9.3 United States = 8.6 Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov, Rates adjusted to 2000 U.S. standard population. U.S. includes Atlanta,- CA, rural GA, HI, IA, KY, Detroit, NM, UT, Seattle, or 20% of U.S. population.

2

2. Thyroid Cancer Incidence Rate, By U.S. County 42 States, 806 Counties with >15 Cases Total, 2001-2004 County C

HIGHEST RATES

1. Los Alamos NM

2. Lehigh PA

3. Jefferson OH

4. Cache UT

5. Rockland NY

6. Northampton PA

7. Socorro NM

8. Juneau City/Boro AK

9. Laramie WY

10. Benton IA

11. Sanpete UT

12. Hall NE

12. Luzerne PA

14. Bristol RI

15. Orange NY

16. Warren IA

16. Jones IA

16. Bucks PA

19. York PA

20. Bourbon KY

20. Mercer PA

22. Santa Cruz AZ

22. Camden NJ

22. Lancaster PA

25. Lawrence PA

26. Putnam NY

26. Burlington NJ

26. Valencia NM

26. Somerset PA 122. Westchester NY U.S. Rate LOWEST RATES 803. Vanderburgh IN 803. Charlotte FL 805. Robeson NC 806. Ellis TX Cases/Year Cases/100,000 Pop.

6 32.5 72 21.4 15 19.4 13 19.0 55 18.7 53 18.5 3

18.1 5

17.8 15 17.5 5

17.1 3

16.9 9

16.7 58 16.7 9

16.6 59 16.5 7

16.3 4

16.3 106 16.3 67 16.2, 3

16.1 20 16.1 6

15.7 82 15.7 75 15.7 15 15.6 16 15.5 72 15.5 10 15'5 13 15.5 118 12.0 8.6 7

3.6 9

3.6 4

3.5 3.4 4

Excluded are IL, MD, MN, MS, NH, ND, TN, VA. States/cities using 2001-2005 data include Atlanta,'CA, rural GA, HI, IA, KY, Detroit, NM, UT, Seattle. The 806 Counties represent 68% of U.S. population. Source: U.S.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov,

3. Thyroid Cancer Incidence Rate, By New York County Counties with >15 Cases Total, 2001-2004 County

1. Rockland Cases/Year Cases/100,000 Pop.

55 18.7 3

2. Orange

3. Putnam

4. Sullivan

5. Oneida

6. Chenango

7. Suffolk

8. Westchester

9. Nassau

10. Richmond

11. Dutchess

12. Schenectady

13. Saratoga

14. Montgomery

15. Niagara

16. Madison

17. Cayuga

18. Onandaga

19. Tioga

20. Broome

21. Oswego

22. New York

23. Otsego

24. Erie

25. Washington

26. Delaware

27. Albany

28. Chemung

29. Greene

30. Orleans

31. Queens

32. Chautauqua

33. Columbia

34. Allegany

35. Monroe

36. Herkimer

37. Jefferson

38. Warren

39. Kings

40. Ulster

41. Livingston

42. Fulton

43. Bronx

44. Rensselaer

45. Genesee

46. Ontario

47. Cattaraugus

48. Wayne

49. Clinton

50. St. Lawrence

51. Steuben 59 16.5 16 15.5 10 12.9 30 12.2 7

12.2 184 12.1 118 12.0 169 11.9 56 11.8 34 11.4 17 11.3 25 11.3 6

11.0 25 10.8 8

10.6 9

10.3 47 10.3 6

10.2 21 10.1 12 9.9 168 9.8 6

9.6 94 9.5 6

9.3 5

9.3 28 9.2 9

9.1 5

8.9 4

8.8 203 8.7 13 8.6 6

8.6 4

8.5 62 8.3 5

8.1 9

8.0 6

8.0 193 7.9 14 7.5 5

7.4 4

7.2 89 7.2 11 6.9 4

6.4 6

6.1 5

5.9 6

5.7 5

5.4 6

5.0 5

4.4 Excluded counties (fewer than 4 cases/year) are Cortland, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Lewis, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Tompkins, Wyoming, and Yates Counties. Rates adjusted to 2000 U.S. standard population. Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov, 4

4. Thyroid Cancer Incidence Rate Four Counties Closest to Indian Point vs. Other NY State By Five Year Period, 1976-2005 Period 1976-80 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-00 2001-05 Period 1976-80 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-00 2001-05 Thyroid Cancer Cases per 100,000 Population (number of cases)

Orange Putnam Rockland Westchester 1.85 (20) 4.65 (15) 4.10 (46) 3.55 (156) 4.05 (50) 2.50 (10) 5.70 ( 70) 3.95 (176) 3.10 (42) 2.05 (10) 6.70 ( 90) 4.35 (203) 4.80 (72) 4.35 (19) 8.25 (112) 4.95 (234) 11.25 (181) 8.60 (43)10.65 (153) 8.60 (414) 16.55 (295) 18.20 (93)18.05 (267) 12.35 (621)

% Local Rate is 4 County Total Other NY State is +/- Oth NYS 3.40 ( 237) 3.45

- 1.5%

4.20 ( 306) 3.71

+13.2%

4.38( 345) 3.91

+11.9%

5.46 ( 437) 5.07

+ 9.2%

9.51 ( 791) 7.11

+33.7%

14.55 (1276) 9.82

+48.1%

Source: NY State Cancer Registry, www.nyhealath.gov/statistics/cancer/registry. Rates per 100,000, adjusted to 2000 U.S. standard population.

5. Thyroid Cancer Mortality Rate Four Counties Closest to Indian Point vs. U.S By Age Group, 1979-2005 4 Cos. Cloest to Indian Point U.S.

Age Group Deaths Ann. Pop.

Rate Rate

% +/- U.S.

All Races 45-64 69 350,379 0.729 0.517

+41.2%

65 and over 173 194,440 3.295 2.536

+29.9%

Whites 45-64 59 303,597 65 and over 166 177,374 0.720, 0.515

+39.8%

3.466 2.535

+36.7%

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://wonder.cdc.gov, underlying cause of death.

Uses ICD-9 cancer codes 193 (1979-1998) and ICD-10 cancer codes C73 (1999-2005). Rates are deaths per 100,000 persons adjusted for 2000 U.S. standard population. About 98% of thyroid cancer deaths occur in persons 45 years of age and over.

organization: Radiation and Public Health Project addressl: 716 Simpson Avenue address2:

city: Ocean City state: NJ zip: 08226 5

country: USA phone: 609-399-4343 6