HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0212.224 1996-1998 May 1997
To the Editor:
Doctors cannot issue opinions based on rumor. We need
to examine the patient for ourselves, or see reports from
informed sources. In formulating our opinion regarding the
advisability of building and operating the proposed
irradiation facility, we did not visit the patient, but we
read many documents from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
engineer's reports, and original news items.
The amount of material was copious. Indeed, we could
continue reading for many more months, for the complexity of
constructing and operating an irradiation plant is
staggering. The mayor and members of the county council
have many matters to contend with, and none of them are
doctors or engineers. It is highly unlikely that they fully
understand the engineering, health, and safety issues
involved. And yet, the mayor and several council members
are promoting this facility based largely on the
recommendation of those who would profit from it. Such a
recommendation cannot be regarded as unbiased. And funding
such a potentially hazardous and economically burdensome
facility, without fully understanding the implications, is
irresponsible.
This ignorance is apparent in a statement made by the
mayor following his testimony at the hearing. The mayor
said that Dr. Cohen is irresponsible for opposing this
plant because he uses gamma rays on his patients." The
mayor does not appear to understand that the radiation
planned for the Isomedix fruit treatment facility is
'1,000,000 times stronger than the radiation used in an X-ray
(100,000 rads vs. 1/LO of a rad). Nor does he seem to know
that Cobalt-60 is not used by a single doctor or hospital in
the state of Hawaii because there are safer alternatives.
The mayor should not be promoting the irradiation facility
if he lacks such basic knowledge, for without this knowledge
he cannot know the ramifications of what he is promoting.
According to official NRC Information Notices, there
have been numerous equipment failures and safety violations
at irradiation plants. In Israel, an operator died from
acute radiation syndrome 36 days after an accident. In E1
Salvador, two workers had their legs amputated due to acute
radiation exposure and burns. One of those workers died 197
days later.
Other NRC reports indicate that several other
irradiators have had their Cobalt-60 sources jam in the
exposed position. This has resulted in fires, in,~~s~and 111..-~~
loss of life.
get. 'tbi Presented
Y1et. Ih~te MAY 0 7 1997
In New Jersey, Isomedix, the company proposing to build
the irradiator on this island, deliberately bypassed the
radiation monitor interlock system. The NRC concluded that
"this incident was a very serious violation of safety
requirements." This month the NRC is holding a hearing on
another Isomedix violation because their plant in Puerto
Rico operated for three hours without a licensed operator.
It would be impossible to detail all of the incidents
that we have read about. The NRC Incident Reports are
available from the NRC website on the Internet, and the
Commission is very cooperative in making their reports
available to the public.
From the copious amount of material we have read, we
have concluded that in order for an irradiation plant to run
safely, the workers at the facility and the plant's
equipment would have to perform perfectly. Gie believe that
no matter how hard people try, perfection does not exist in
this world. A proposal may look perfect on paper, but in
the real world people make mistakes, equipment fails, and
accidents happen. Therefore, we beieve that the risks to
health and safety are too high to build and operate an
irradiation facility on this island.
We have not even addressed the economic, liability, and
decontamination issues that need to be thoroughly addressed
and understood when considering bringing such a facility to
Hawaii. Nor have we even touched on the highly
controversial decision to build this plant with
$2,000,000.00 of taxpayer money. From what we have read, we
do not believe that $'L,000,000.00 will be enough money, and
believe that the taxpayers will be burdened with an open-
ended economic black hole.
The decision to build and operate an irradiation
facility is probably the most complex issue the county
co>>ncil has ever faced. Therefore, we are appalled at the
seemingly irresponsible rush to pass Bill 6'L. We urge the
County Council to respect the complexity and the critical
nature of irradiation, and to uphold their responsibility to
the citizens of Hawaii. Do not pass Bill 62. You do not
yet know the full impications of what you will be doing.
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Please contact any of the first three physicans listed
below if you have any questions.
Mark Cohen M.D. 934-L000 73 Pu'uhono Place, Hilo
Susan Gilbert M.D. 961-3371 101 Aupuni Street, #315, Hilo
Lorraine Sonoda-Fogel M.D. 961-0899 41 Hoku Street, Hilo
Alice Adee M.D. 50 Ulilani Street, Hilo
Ron Voit M.D. 10'L8 Kinoole Street, Hilo
William Kama M.D. 311 Kalanianaole Ave., Hilo
A. Scott Miles M.D. 670 Ponahawai Street, Hilo
Jan Houser M.D. 73 Pu'uhonu Place, Hilo
Kathleen Pestrella M.D. 1028 Kinoole Street, Hilo
Pam McKenna M.D. Uilani Place, Waimea
David Cope M.D. 296 Lahi Street, Hilo
Ron Ah Loy M.D. 75-5995 Kuakini Hwy., Suite 315 liailua-lions
Tom Green M.D. 311 Kalanianaole Ave., Hilo
Raymond Wertheim M.D. Kona Inn Shopping Village, Suite 239,
Kailua-Kona
James Hubbard M.D. Kailua-Kona
Franklin Marcus M.D. Kailua-Kona v`~ ~
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Keith Smith M.D. Kailua-Kona
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Samir Patel M.D. N~LO (".~n~~~ ^rm.n,c t~vT, ,,~s`C Jw IG
Curtiss Wright M.D. d/. A_ d`
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