Park radiation hotspot 'due to fallout from Iraq bombing'
icBerkshire - Park radiation hotspot 'due to fallout from Iraq bombing': "Park radiation hotspot 'due to fallout from Iraq bombing'
Feb 23 2006
RADIATION monitors in Prospect Park picked up a 400% increase in uranium levels during the 'Shock and Awe' bombing campaign against Iraq.
Scientists who used the Freedom of Information Act to uncover the data say it proves the toxic battlefield fallout was blown towards Reading on the wind.
But the Environment Agency says the huge increase in atmospheric uranium is a coincidence. It suggests local building work might be responsible.
Chris Busby, a government adviser on radiation, said: 'This research shows that rather than remaining near the target, as claimed by the military, depleted uranium weapons contaminate both locals and whole populations hundreds to thousands of miles away.'
Dr Busby, from Liverpool University's department of human anatomy and cell biology, said weapons grade uranium consists of extremely small ceramic particles, and there is mounting medical evidence linking it to birth defects and cancer.
Park radiation hotspot 'due to fallout from Iraq bombing'
Feb 23 2006
RADIATION monitors in Prospect Park picked up a 400% increase in uranium levels during the "Shock and Awe" bombing campaign against Iraq.
Scientists who used the Freedom of Information Act to uncover the data say it proves the toxic battlefield fallout was blown towards Reading on the wind.
But the Environment Agency says the huge increase in atmospheric uranium is a coincidence. It suggests local building work might be responsible.
Chris Busby, a government adviser on radiation, said: "This research shows that rather than remaining near the target, as claimed by the military, depleted uranium weapons contaminate both locals and whole populations hundreds to thousands of miles away."
Dr Busby, from Liverpool University's department of human anatomy and cell biology, said weapons grade uranium consists of extremely small ceramic particles, and there is mounting medical evidence linking it to birth defects and cancer.
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He said: "You may say it's a very small risk, perhaps one in 100,000, but there's a lot of people in Europe, so you could be dealing with a lot of dead babies."
The data used in his report has been routinely collected by AWE Aldermaston since the early 1990s, originally to reassure the public that its own operations were safe. Figures were published regularly until 1999.
But after a 2004 request for information was ignored by AWE, scientists resorted to the FOI Act to get what they wanted.
And despite asking for figures covering 2000-2004, when it arrived, data from the Gulf War period was missing. Eventually, the scientists allege, the information curiously arrived from the Defence Procurement Agency and not the Ministry of Defence itself.
The Environment Agency was asked to investigate the abnormal readings in March and April 2003, but spokesman Emma Cassidy this week denied there is anything to worry about.
She said: "It was shown the uranium wasn't anything to do with AWE and it was completely natural. It was not linked to AWE and could not have come from MOD shells.
"It was a natural source and wasn't at levels that cause health concerns."
Miss Cassidy pointed out that cement contains radiation, adding: "It was noted that construction was ongoing at the time the readings were taken." "
Feb 23 2006
RADIATION monitors in Prospect Park picked up a 400% increase in uranium levels during the 'Shock and Awe' bombing campaign against Iraq.
Scientists who used the Freedom of Information Act to uncover the data say it proves the toxic battlefield fallout was blown towards Reading on the wind.
But the Environment Agency says the huge increase in atmospheric uranium is a coincidence. It suggests local building work might be responsible.
Chris Busby, a government adviser on radiation, said: 'This research shows that rather than remaining near the target, as claimed by the military, depleted uranium weapons contaminate both locals and whole populations hundreds to thousands of miles away.'
Dr Busby, from Liverpool University's department of human anatomy and cell biology, said weapons grade uranium consists of extremely small ceramic particles, and there is mounting medical evidence linking it to birth defects and cancer.
Park radiation hotspot 'due to fallout from Iraq bombing'
Feb 23 2006
RADIATION monitors in Prospect Park picked up a 400% increase in uranium levels during the "Shock and Awe" bombing campaign against Iraq.
Scientists who used the Freedom of Information Act to uncover the data say it proves the toxic battlefield fallout was blown towards Reading on the wind.
But the Environment Agency says the huge increase in atmospheric uranium is a coincidence. It suggests local building work might be responsible.
Chris Busby, a government adviser on radiation, said: "This research shows that rather than remaining near the target, as claimed by the military, depleted uranium weapons contaminate both locals and whole populations hundreds to thousands of miles away."
Dr Busby, from Liverpool University's department of human anatomy and cell biology, said weapons grade uranium consists of extremely small ceramic particles, and there is mounting medical evidence linking it to birth defects and cancer.
Story continues Continue story
ADVERTISEMENT
He said: "You may say it's a very small risk, perhaps one in 100,000, but there's a lot of people in Europe, so you could be dealing with a lot of dead babies."
The data used in his report has been routinely collected by AWE Aldermaston since the early 1990s, originally to reassure the public that its own operations were safe. Figures were published regularly until 1999.
But after a 2004 request for information was ignored by AWE, scientists resorted to the FOI Act to get what they wanted.
And despite asking for figures covering 2000-2004, when it arrived, data from the Gulf War period was missing. Eventually, the scientists allege, the information curiously arrived from the Defence Procurement Agency and not the Ministry of Defence itself.
The Environment Agency was asked to investigate the abnormal readings in March and April 2003, but spokesman Emma Cassidy this week denied there is anything to worry about.
She said: "It was shown the uranium wasn't anything to do with AWE and it was completely natural. It was not linked to AWE and could not have come from MOD shells.
"It was a natural source and wasn't at levels that cause health concerns."
Miss Cassidy pointed out that cement contains radiation, adding: "It was noted that construction was ongoing at the time the readings were taken." "
posted by Greta Jane at Friday, February 24, 2006
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