DEAR News Of The Area,

MAY I wish happy retirement to the Federal Member for Lyne, Dr David Gillespie.

However I am disappointed that a medical doctor would exult over his five years of pushing risky nuclear reactors in the Liberal/National Party coalition.

Has he not read the numerous articles and papers about the dangers of nuclear radiation on humans: especially cancers, leukaemia, cataracts, genetic damage and birth defects in the unborn?

Surely he has heard the expert medical warnings against nuclear reactors made often by numerous radiation experts such as Australia’s Dr Helen Caldicott, as well as Dr Ian Fairlie (UK) and Cindy Folkers (USA), plus environmentalists Linda Pentz Gunter (USA) and Mark Diesendorf (Australia), and many others.

May I remind Dr Gillespie that every nuclear reactor routinely dumps radioactive water and ‘vents’ radioactive gases and particulates into the atmosphere on a daily basis.

These emissions include carcinogenic radionuclides like Strontium-90, Iodine-131, Caesium-137, Cobalt-60, Tritium (H3) and Carbon-14.

Several peer-reviewed epidemiological studies have shown that living within 5 to 16 kilometres of a nuclear plant results in a doubling of the rates of acute leukaemia among children, compared to those living farther away.

Perhaps Dr Gillespie could check out these studies, including the 2008 KiKK study (Germany), the 2012 Geocap study (France), the 1997 La Hague study (France) and the 1991 Sellafield study (UK).

Regards,
Kenneth HIGGS,
Raymond Terrace.