ML20058E351
| ML20058E351 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Pilgrim |
| Issue date: | 10/07/1990 |
| From: | Dukakis M MASSACHUSETTS, COMMONWEALTH OF |
| To: | Carr K NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20058E353 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9011070141 | |
| Download: ML20058E351 (7) | |
Text
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THE COMMONWEALTH OF M ASSACHUSETTS EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT -
9 STATE HOUSE BOSTON 02133 MICHAEL S. DUKAKIS covinwon October 7, 1990 The Honorable Kenneth Carr Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commission
. Dear Chairman Carrt I have enclosed a copy of the Southeastern Massachusetts Health Study
'i which was released today by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The study, which is the first of its kind in the nation, explored the relationship between leukemia incidence in 22 Massachusetts communities and potential for exposure to-the Pilgrim Nuclear Power
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Plant.. The major findings were:
.1.
Overall, individuals with the highest potential for exposure to
~j Pilgrim emissions (i.e., those who lived and/or worked the longest and closest'to the plant) had almost four times the risk of leukemia as compared with those having the lowest potential for exposure (i.e., those who live and/or worked the least amount of time and farthest from the plant).
- 2. -
No apparent relationship with the plant was observed for cases diagnosed between 1984 and=1986.-
4 3.
Among those cases' diagnosed before 1984, a dose-response relationship was observed in that the relative risk of leukemia E
increased as the potential for exposure to plant emissions also increased.
Based.upon these findings, the state of Massachusetts is implementing-
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~' changes in our radiation monitoring program..Two major initiatives will
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be undertaken.. The fitst is to significantly intensify. radiological
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- monitoring ef forts around Massachusetts nuclear power plants beginning
-with,the Pilgrim Plant by implementing a real-time (i.e., continuous) monitoring.systen. This real-time monitoring system must include stack i
emission monitoring capability. The second. initiative is to establish H
. emissions. based on dose limits at the fenceline of the plant. This
~ guidance is presently set-at 25 millirem / year by the EPA.
Massachusetts proposes a standard of 10 millirem / year.
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- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission should~take steps to require offsite radiological ~ monitoring programs at each and every nuclear power plant in the country.
Further, the Massa husetts study strongly favors adoption of the EPA recommended emission tan ard for nuclear power plants. Finally, consideration should gi en to replicating the methodology of the Massachusetts Depart en Public Health Study at other selected sites around the countt I would be happy to discuss this u er with you at ur 4 st convenience.
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NUCLEAR RE*ULATORY COMMISSION
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WA$reJGTotJ, D.C. 20655 OFFICE OF THE Nov. 5, 1990 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS Document Control Desk:
Attached-are two documents which the Chairman's office has requested be placed in the P3R.
I have sent them an advance copy.
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$oe/on 02iff Phup W. Johnston secretary Devid H. Mumgan commissioner
SUMMARY
OF THE SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH STUDY
-- In 1987, the Southeastern Massachusetts Health Study was-
-initiated to explore the possible relationship between the Pilgrim' Nuclear Power Plant and a significantly higher incidence of-adult leukemia in males and a slightly elevated incidence for females among residents of a five town area near the Pilgrim nuclear power plant.
~ - The findings'of this study show that the' risk of leukemia-for cases diagnosed ~between 1978-1983 was higher for'those with the greatest: potential for esposure (i.e., those who lived and/or worked the closest for the longest period of time) to the Pilgrim nuclesr power plant. The risk of leukemia was almost four-times l.
higher for those individuals. compared to those with the lowest
~r potential'for exposure.
No relationshio was observed for
. leukemia' cases with the hiahest notential for exoosure diaanosed L
between 1983'and 1986.
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10f adult leukemia' cases' diagnosed between 1978 and 1986 were L
studied'over a 22 town area,.so that a-broad range of exposure 4
estimates could be tested.
- Although-a'causeEand effect relationship cannot be> proven, a p
_possible explanation for this finding is that theielevated risk E
of leukemia may be associated with theLhigher plant emissions h
thatioccurred in the mid-1970s.
- Based on the'results of.this' study, the DPH will undertake the-
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following:
l' 1)LImplement a system of continuous monitoring of radionuclide' emissions so that:rollable-and timely information is available;
- 2) Develop a state air quality standard more stringent than'that' of federal _ agencies and other states; 3). Continue'our surveillance of cancer.ir.the Plymouth area 4
T through< data collected by the' Cancer Registry.
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FOR~MORE INFORMATION, CALL'THE.DPH AT 1-800-535-3937 from 9-5p.m.
beginning. Wednesday, October 10, 1990.
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f u ep. qu Jn mya,e, a yeus A a Michael S. Dukakle Gov *raar
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l-Philip W. Johnston Secretary -
Devid H. Mulligen commise6oner FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
OCTOBER 9,'1990 MARY ANN HART (617)727-0201 DR. VAN DUNN (617)727-2701 SUZANNE CONDON (617)727-7170 STUDY SHOWS ASSOCIATION BETWEEN POWER PLANT AND LEUKEMIA CASES L
BETWEEN:1978-1983; BUT NO INCREASED RISK SINCE THEN
.The Department of Public Health today releastd a study z'.'
. showing an association between leukemia cases diagnosed between
'1978-1983 and potential exposure to the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant.
No-association was found between the plant and leukemia
-cases diagnosed after 1983.
The Southeastern. Massachusetts Health. Study,-which explored the possible-relationship between the. Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth, Massachusetts and adult: leukemia, found the risk was L
four times higher'for people diagnosed with leukemia between-1978-1983 having the greatest potential for exposure '(i.e.,
those who lived-and/or worked the-closest for the longest period of
. time to the power plant) compared with those with the-lowest t
exposure potential.
"It'must'be, emphasized," Commissioner of Public. Health David 1
Mulligan said,'"that'the: relationship was~ strongest for.those
. diagnosed between 1978 and 1983.
For individuals diagnosed between.1983) and'1986,.there was no elevated. risk of-leukemia associatedJwith the plant."
Th's Southeastern Massachusetts Health Study.was initiated in L1987'because of a' concern expressed by citizens', members'of the legislature,,and theLDepartment of Public Health, that an excess number of leukemia.casos:in towns near the power plant may be-related to emissions fr6m.the plant.
Massachusetts cancer-a
. Registry'dataishowed-that'the number of leukemia' cases'were significantly elevated in males.and slightly elevated'in females living,in-a:five town area *near the nuclear. power plant. For'all
- types of leukemia, excluding chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the incidence among males for the years 1982-1984 was twice that.
expected (19 cases observed, 9.4 expected, based on a statewide average' cancer incidence).
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The design chosen permitted collection of detailed residential and occupational data, thus allowing for a better estimate of exposure potential to the Pilgrim Plant.
Leukemia cases were ascertained from hospital medical records for residents of 22 surrounding towns, so that a broad range of exposure estimates could be tested. One hundred and five cases or 89% of the total. number of leukemia cases diagnosed between 1978 and 1986 participated in the study with 208 participants in a control group.
The principle question addressed by the study was: to what
' extent is the risk of-leukemia related to the potential for exposure to emissions from the Pilgrim plant?
The potential for exposure was estimated by examining how close a place of 2
residence was to the plant; how long the subject lived at the residence; how close a place of employment was to the plant; how long the subject worked at that job location; the geographical location of'the places'of residence and employment with respect to frequency of being downwind from the plant (based on
- meteorological data).
"Our findings that'the risk of leukemia was almost four times higher _for individuals who had the greatest potential for exposure as compared with those who had the lowest exposure
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potential suggest the risk of' leukemia. increased as the potential-for exposure increased," said Mulligan. " Factors'other than T
' environmental radiation were examined and-none, including occupation and amoking status, could account for the elevated risks associated with exposure to-Pilgrim."
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Mulligan said that while a cause and effect relationship cannot be proven, one possible explanation for this finding is that elevated' risk of leukemia mayibe related to the higher plant
- emissions that occurred duringLthe:mid 1970s.
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" Leukemia is a rare disease,"*said~Dr. Van Dunn',-Deputy l
l Commissioner for Environmental' Health.
While-an elevated risk of l leukemia may be associated with the plant for. cases diagnosed
.between. 1978-1983, that risk appears to no longer exist-for cases i
diagnosed after 1983.
The Department does not recommend any-1 special cancer screening for persons who may have lived / worked i
I: N near'the plant in-the 1970's and'early 1980's apart from the routine medical care: check-ups-normally recommended."
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"It.iw not possible for an epidemiologic study to 1
conclusively establish the cause of a health problem.
The findings of this study suggest that the Pilgrim emissions higher han,those from routine operation of~the Pilgrim. plant may have b
affected leukemia incidence in southeastern Massachusetts.l In response to these. findings we are. committed to monitoring emissions from:the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant and taking steps to' reduce:the level of emissions permissible from nuclear power plants in Massachusetts," said Secretary of Human Services Philip Johnston.
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3 Johnston said that he and Governor Dukakis has asked the Department of Public Health to initiate the following
. (1)- Imolement a system of continuous monitorina of radionuclidg_
emissions so that realible and timelv information is availablet A system consisting of gamma radiation detectors located at 16 different locations at a one-half mile ring around the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is planned.
Radiation levels will be transmitted on a continuous basis by telephone line to a centralized data logger and computer to the Radiaticn Control Program at the Department of Public Health. In addition, the Department will continue the maaitoring system it currently has in place.-
(2) Develon-a state air cuality standard more strinaent than that of federal-aaencies and other states. At the present time, air emissions from nuclear power plants are regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). During the 1970's the Environmental Protection' Agency (EPA) established exposure guidelines of 25 arem per year. It is recommended that Massachusetts adopt the strictest emission standard in the country, currently being proposed under the clean Air Act, which.would result in an exposure limit of 10' mrem per year.
(3)- Continue surveillance: of cancer in the Plymouth' area throuch L
= data collected by the Massachusetts Cancer Reaistry.
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,(4) Based uoon the availability of resources. interview the families of childhood leukemia cases, in order to learn more about childhood leukemia risk in relation to the ol ntz A
Massachusetts Cancer Registry data from 1982-1986 did not show a l
L elevated incidence of childhood leukemia in Southeastern
' Massachusetts. However, because this study shows an association between:some adult leukemia cases and,the power plant, a clocar D
' investigation of childhood. leukemia cases-would be warranted.
lm' The-Southeastern Massachusetts Health' Study was conducted by L
L' the Environmental Health Assessment unit of the Massachusetts
- Department of Public Health.
Robert Knorr Ph.D. and Martha I,'
Morris Ph.D. were co-principal' investigators of the study.
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The-public may call 1-800-535-3937 for more information.
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