Published: January 22nd, 2012 at 8:26 am ET
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Title: Platt: Fukushima fallout hit home
Source: Calgary Sun
Author: Michael Platt
Date: Jan 22, 2012
Emphasis Added
- There’s no need to panic — probably
- But not knowing whether to shrug or cower over radioactive iodine falling on Calgary as a result of a meltdown in Japan last year has Canada’s top nuclear critic wondering why
- Health Canada hasn’t even released the data, saying it’s too small an amount to be worthy of public comment — and the same silence has applied for much of the Canadian data collected so far
- Health Canada confirms that last March, after the Fukushima nuclear accident, a Calgary monitoring station detected an average of 8.18 becquerels per litre of radioactive iodine, stemming from Japan
Dr. Gordon Edwards, a university professor, is president of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility and a former advisor on nuclear matters to Ottawa and the Ontario government
- “Why aren’t they just reporting this stuff and not commenting — they seem to take it upon themselves to deny there’s any danger, even enough to let people know what’s happening”
- He’s been pointed when saying radiation from Fukushima will lead to higher rates of cancer in Canada — though he’s also quick to say the risk is tiny on a per-person basis
- Now he’s asking questions about rain which fell on Calgary shortly after the nuclear disaster last March, containing radioactive iodine well above the Health Canada guidelines for drinking water
- Edwards says Calgarians should at least have known there was a spike beyond recommended levels, especially as rain-bourne radiation concentrates in vegetation and the food chain
- “It’s not up to Health Canada to decide for everybody else what they should do”
Dr. Paul Gully, Health Canada’s senior medical advisor
- Officials with the federal agency say raising red flags over a “one off” sample of radioactive rain is fearmongering
- “Even if the level in water was close to what the upper limits would be, that would still mean someone would have to consume two litres a day, all year, in order to reach a level where they might possibly be at risk”
- “Therefore, for a level to be identified in Calgary in rainwater on one occasion, really means there is no risk — not in the past and not now”
- “Be reassured if there was a problem, and Health Canada does continuous monitoring, then Canadians would be informed”
Read the report here
Fact Check
1) Gully: A “one off” sample of radioactive rain [...] “identified in Calgary in rainwater on one occasion”
>> According to the Montreal Gazette reporter who initially published the Calgary radiation data:
- One Off? “Rain was tested only at the end of each month, after a network of monitoring stations sent samples to Ottawa. This meant the radiation spikes last March were only discovered in early April, after rainwater samples were sent to Ottawa for testing – too late to alert the public, including those who collect rain for drinking and gardening.”
- Just Calgary? “Some of Health Canada’s numbers are much lower than those reported by other radiation researchers. Simon Fraser University nuclear chemist Krzysztof Starosta found iodine levels in rainwater in Burnaby, B.C., spiked to 13 becquerels per litre in March – many times higher than the levels Health Canada detected in nearby Vancouver [March in Vancouver averaged only 0.69 becquerels per litre of I-131 in rainwater for the gov't, just 1/20th Starosta's levels].”
2) Gully: “Someone would have to consume two litres a day, all year, in order to reach a level where they might possibly be at risk”
>> The Calgary Sun article quotes Gordon Edwards, a former advisor on nuclear matters to Ottawa and the Ontario government:
“There are certain people who might be concerned — for instance, a pregnant woman [...] When a baby is growing inside, that baby should not be getting a dose of radiation at a critical moment of development, because when an embryo gets radiation, one damaged cell can multiply. A fetus is far more susceptible to radiation. Is a fetus likely to be harmed by this level of radiation? No, but could it be, yes.”
Published: January 22nd, 2012 at 8:26 am ET
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sending...
Imagine the gall of lowly taxpayers requesting to see data they paid to collect because government officials, also paid by the lowly taxpayers, decided they don’t need to see it, it’s too small to matter, nothing to see here, move along…
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Page 4 of this document shows what radiation was detected in Canada in March/early April 2011
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B-lM5qg9ztErNWFhMDUyMDQtYTQxYy00NTIxLWFlZjEtYTViNTY2YmMwYjk3&hl=en
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“Be reassured if there was a problem, and Health Canada does continuous monitoring, then Canadians would be informed” – is at least three-way ambiguous.
Gully wants the gullible to read it as “BE REASSURED… we do continuous monitoring… and if there were a problem we would inform you.”
It could instead be parsed “… if there were a problem, and if we monitored… then….” (but we don’t monitor because we might not like the results, and you wouldn’t like them one bit).
It could also be parsed “…if there were a problem… then you would be informed… but not by us.” (which seems to be what happened in actuality).
The shenanigans are amazing. They don’t sample frequently, but then report that the absence of samples means nothing (bad) can be inferred. They sample short-lived isotopes, then submit them to lengthy transport delays. They find alarming results, so they sample less, rather than more. They tell the public to be reassured, that results higher than their own limits are meaningless. They bob, they weave… and it works!
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An opinion piece.
Make two obvious phone calls.
Make a “he said/he said”.
End of story.
Go to press club, have lunch.
But the paper only gives me 6 inches of a single column.
Whatever.
Wonder if he’s even heard of the citizens doing monitoring, or personally knows jack about radiations effects?
I counted 11 (eleven) times the effects were minimised by both parties and the columnist.
Are we taxpayer/citizens seen as panic-prone dummies or hair-trigger revolutionaries? Maybe an nervous herd. Stampedes can be dangerous for nuclear cowboys.
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I took some small comfort in seeing it covered by the Calgary Sun at all since Calgary is near the epicentre of the Harperium. (Canadian spelling for a Canadian topic feels subversive – who says Canadians don’t take risks).
So far the Montreal Gazette and the Georgia Straight have been carrying the news load and even they tend to be too little too late for my taste.
After a ten month diet of crumbs though, anything looks better than nothing.
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Small comfort indeed.
Oiltown in oil Province tho’.
And OT, I remember the Straight from the days of the Gastown Riot.
Also, I thought Ponoka made an appropriate heart of the Harperium….
Back on-topic, sort of, I am no longer shocked, simply dismayed, by the near-complete blackout of serious news in Canadian media about Fukushima.
I found more in the Times of Oman online edition at one point.
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Canadian government must be really concerned (totally freaking out) due to inherent health care cost resposibility of the entire nation. The layers (implications) of the stinking Fukushima onion are so immense… my head has gone numb attempting to reason it. All of humanity IS and will be paying for this for all of eternity… Dreadful.
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Depending on severity the government should be concerned also of government, society breakout in face of radioactive zombies (including us) or electric and gas people who cannot go to work or make costly mistakes, genetic damage to plants and potential lack of food, having to stop planes from flying due to higher radiation, etc… The ostrich -head in the sand approach is the most damaging.
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I’m sure they’ll soon ban geiger counters on airplanes. Having one aboard makes you a ‘stress terrorist’ – taking the survival smile from the faces of more compliant passengers.
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so with the inherent health care costs comes a major change in legislation, changing the age to collect OAS from 65 to 67. But what happens in Canada is that disabled people can qualify for a CPP disability pension which pays a higher rate than regular retirement pension, and automatically changes to the lower paying pension at age 65. but after 2023 these people will not have the benefit of OAS topping up their pensions (some are much lower than the maximum of approx $1100/month) So anyone that is disabled with no other income, once they turn 65, will have to wait 2 more years in poverty before they qualify for OAS and income supplement payments.
I somehow dont think that they're that concerned, considering that the provinces pay to care for people who cant take care of themselves. the monthly cost for complex care home living, for the lowest income seniors/disabled people is $898./month. People who've worked all their lives, paid for their homes, invested in their retirements are charged $3,000 for the same service. The federal government will bear none of these costs, and once HARPER re-writes the health care act, look for more off-loading to the provinces still… guard your health!
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@truthseek, BRILLIANT,…never crossed my mind,..:”Canadian government must be really concerned (totally freaking out) due to inherent health care cost resposibility of the entire nation. ”
That is SUCH a good point! Thanks!
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OT NUKE NEWS
Sunday, January 22, 2012 http://nucnews.com/whatsnew.php
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Continuous pattern around the globe !
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The gig is up!
The real nuclear threat is not Iran, but Fukushima fallout
By Timothy Kevin O’Keeffe, Vancouver Sun January 21, 2012
….Despite the considerable health risk to the citizens of this country from radiation fallout, Harper and his government claim there is no danger.
The facts, as reported in the Montreal Gazette this week, reveal Canadian officials have failed to apprise the citizens of this country to the true scope of the disaster….
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/real+nuclear+threat+Iran+Fukushima+fallout/6031800/story.html
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Good to see, Jebus. The media all seem to have waited for the Montreal Gazette series before they dared to chime in. When I lived in Vancouver, the Sun used to specialize in rehashed Globe & Mail stories about three days after the Globe published them. Perhaps they are broadening their outlook a bit.
I wonder what the Canadian paper media are “up to” all of a sudden. Taken at face value, they appear to be inching toward covering Fukushima after all.
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1 word: bioaccumulation
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What does the Japanese government have on these other countries. Is it falsified health data to show NO PROBLEM with nuclear plants, which have been build world wide? The only reason to say “we know best”, and not release information..is a coverup. Its not just Canada, its US, Pacific Rim countries..in fact every where winds blow and ocean currents flow. It not poetry, it is an obituary for those who develop disease from the Fukushima radiation. At least let people make up their own minds and futures. Anyone who put pen to paper –and down played, refused to release public information -probably is going to be looking at some legal costs..civic courts will not have sympathy when THEY ARE SICK AS WELL.
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Even MSNBC is reporting:
Report: Japan kept secret about scary nuclear scenario
http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/21/10207715-report-japan-kept-secret-about-scary-nuclear-scenario
Canada will hopefully be all over the news shortly – describing how they made an executive decision to hoodwink the public – give them false figures and hide the data.
The remainder of the proletarians will simply rest assured that Canada managed to find twelve salmon that were NOT radioactive, then switch on the hockey game.
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He says nothing about the 3 explosions or the MOX or fuel pool !
Like the incident was never became a reality, the one !
Misleading article !
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River and lake and field problems revolve around the snow pack melt.
Fine crystalline snow flakes, compared to spherical rain drops, are diametrically contrasted in surface area.
Shit in the air? Forget about summer rain storms.
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Its a crime against the Canadian people. My friend’s daughter is in Vancouver, and despite my pleading warnings to inform her what was going on, her response was that if there is a problem, the canadian government will tell them. Then she tells me that her daughter had been having thyroid problems before this happened, but no worries, government will protect them. God help us. Wonder what radioactive iodine can do to a young lady with goiter? I guess we will find out, eh.
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“Health Canada hasn’t even released the data, saying it’s too small an amount to be worthy of public comment”
And yet they made that comment. They could’ve just as easily released the data.
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Even if it was only an average of 8 becquerels per liter, think about that. Think how far canada is away from the damaged reactors, that’s pretty significant.
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With at least the U.S. Military getting the radiation readouts & not disclosing the information to the world there is a far larger problem. Japan or the U.S. Military could have released it, independent of any news media or government. They could have dealt with any problems anyone had with the information being released.
However when the one of the worlds largest military s chooses to continue to keep it quiet you know why we have not been informed. Claiming that people would panic is not reason enough when you are you are talking getting cancers as a result.
Great point truthseeker, I hadn’t thought of the panic the government would feel. On the other hand to knowingly hide this yet be aware of the billions that companies will now make for medical supplies & treatments is despicable. I will also assure you that the cost of health care will rise…the cost of the supplies…all so that those companies can even further benefit from victims.
We need to reach more people. You can help do this by sharing information on Occupy facebook group walls. I gave more information on this at this post….noting to make sure no one gets banned on facebook from spamming.
http://enenews.com/forum-petitions-ballot-initiatives-other-signature-drives-video
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Simply put, those officials are liars.
What the Canadians of all political parties should do is this:
Abolish this agency, firing all its employees, stripping them of pension benefits.
Start a new agency, with far fewer employees, and a vast network of real-time, online radiation sensors.
Then investigate to see which other public officials had a part in ordering the coverup, and prosecuting any found guilty.
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Canadian Politicians just follow the American lead which is to appease the border-less economic pirates that rule this earth with psychotic abandon. The economic agenda takes precedent over honest reporting of the radio-active situation. They tested iodine but nothing else. Nuclear is so technical. If I had the equipment I too would be privileged to be able to analyze air and food for such things as iodine (the presence of which is a sign of recent nuclear fission, due to its short half life ) strontium and cesium.
Nobody but the paid off academia it seems have such equipment or even knows how to operate said equipment. So the spin doctors, er bullshit artists, can have a field day with this one.
God Bless
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As always it is fun to assess names. In the above the spokesperson for the National Tobacco Institute aka IAEA aka Canadian Ministry of Health is a Dr. Gully.
Let’s see.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
GULL (noun)
The noun GULL has 2 senses:
1. a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of
2. mostly white aquatic bird having long pointed wings and short legs
Familiarity information: GULL used as a noun is rare.
• GULL (verb)
The verb GULL has 2 senses:
1. make a fool or dupe of
2. fool or hoax
found at: http://www.audioenglish.net/dictionary/gull.htm
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Yup I think that sums it up.
Name-wise, I think that dude is perfectly suited to his job.
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