A Petition for Full Mandatory Public Disclosure of Radioactive Releases from U.S. Nuclear Power Plants and for More Protective Radiation Standards

It doesn’t take an accident for radioactivity to be released from nuclear power plants. During the routine operation of every nuclear reactor, radioactivity is released to the atmosphere, and some is released back to the river, lake or ocean that provides the plant’s cooling water. But in addition to these planned, routine releases, accidental leaks happen.

WHEREAS, commercial nuclear power plants have accidentally released radioactive isotopes through unmonitored and uncontrolled paths resulting in off-site surface and ground water contamination at numerous reactor sites around the United States and;

WHEREAS, nuclear utilities have failed to adequately inform the public of potential radiation exposures and contamination and;

WHEREAS, these unmonitored, uncontrolled and unreported releases of radioactive water have exposed the public through contamination of surface and subsurface water in drinking water wells, livestock watering ponds, agricultural and recreational lands and waterways and;

WHEREAS, the nuclear power industry, while historically failing to inform the public of numerous undisclosed radioactive releases around the country, is currently allowed to self-report accidental radioactive releases through an unenforceable “voluntary initiative” and;

WHEREAS, there is no “safe” level of exposure to ionizing radiation, and each exposure increases risks to the individual and to the public health, and whereas chronic exposures significantly increase the health risk particularly to developing fetuses, infants, children and the elderly;

THEREFORE, this petition calls upon local and state government officials to insist that the U.S. Congress require the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to:

Provide the public with a description of all structures and components on the reactor sites that release radioactive water off site, thereby threatening the quality of water for drinking, agriculture and recreational purposes;

AND, require its licensees to display precautionary radiation signs at all structures or components that carry or hold radioactive water (pipes, valves, outlets) that pass into, through or under the public right-of-way;

AND, require its licensees to display an emergency sign indicating, “CAUTION, RADIATION AREA” in any contaminated off-site location that has not been cleaned up within eight hours;

AND, in the event of an accidental radioactive release, to require its licensees to notify the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, all potentially affected states and counties, and the public media with a precautionary advisory that describes the accident;

AND, the signers of this petition urge the federal government to develop, implement and enforce more protective radiation standards that prioritize the most vulnerable members of our population, including pregnant women, children and the elderly.

The Signers of this Petition support the full public disclosure of accidental radioactive releases from nuclear power plants and the development of more protective and precautionary radiation standards.

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