Why a national cancer study near US reactors must be conducted before any new expansion of nuclear power
The last and only national study of the health risks posed by existing US nuclear reactors was conducted in the late 1980s. But by then, many of the 62 nuclear plants had only been operating for a relatively small number of years, not enough time for the effects of radiogenic exposure to appear in workers and the nearby population. An attempt to launch a new study in 2009 was ultimately cancelled despite many reported cases of cancer and other diseases.
Cancer risk may increase with proximity to nuclear power plants
The researchers estimated that about 20,600 cancer cases in the state—roughly 3.3% of all the cases included in the study—were attributable to living near an NPP, with risk declining sharply beyond roughly 30 kilometers from a facility. The risk of developing cancer attributable to living near an NPP generally increased with age.