In 2002 the Health Council of the Netherlands, that so-called group of independent experts who can be relied upon to give their mark of safety to any toxic product they are asked to rule on, gave the all-clear for the use of depleted uranium. Below are a few excerpts from the 2002 HCN report “Depleted Uranium Report from the Health Council of the Netherlands”, by W F Passchier and J W N Tuyn, Journal of Radiological Protection, Volume 22, Number 1, March 2002. Note that Passchier is Chairman and scientific secretary of the Committee on Depleted Uranium of the Health Council of the Netherlands. Link: http://iopscience.iop.org/0952-4746/22/1/603

“For relevant exposure scenarios the Committee does not anticipate that exposure to DU will result in a demonstrable increased risk of diseases and symptoms among exposed individuals as a result of a radiological or chemical toxic effect exerted by this substance.”

SNIP

“The radiation dose caused by incidental exposure to DU in the exposure scenarios considered is limited compared with the radiation dose received during a lifetime of exposure to natural uranium. As at the common levels of exposure to natural uranium a contribution to the induction of cancer in the population cannot be demonstrated, the Committee concludes that the same is true for exposure to DU. This general conclusion is also valid for the appearance of lung cancer and for the appearance of leukaemia after the inhalation of dust containing slightly soluble uranium compounds.”

SNIP

“Although the risks associated with exposure to DU for the exposure scenarios considered appear to be very limited,….”

SNIP

“The answers to the foregoing questions are not only of importance for experts and authorities but also for the population in the vicinity of the place where DU has been liberated and for persons who for occupational reasons have to stay there. Open communication can prevent unnecessary anxiety. For this the Committee refers to another recently published advisory report of the Health Council `Local environmental health concerns’.”

SNIP

So, to sum it up, in the HCR’s imaginary world, environmental concerns that communities may have, be it over depleted uranium, toxic chemicals, mobile phones, etc., etc. – you name it, - basically boil down to a simple problem of needing to provide the proper communication to comfort ignorant communities so as to avoid unnecessary anxiety.

This is Orwellian industrial risk management speak that can be traced back to “the sound science movement” that was created by Tassc, the Advancement of Sound Science Coalition for Philip Morris (Big Tobacco). This, in turn, can be linked to the risk assessment and management practices used by both ICNIRP and the WHO International EMF project, both established by Michael Repacholi. (See The Procrustean Approach-Chapter 1) All the roads lead to tobacco science and spin if one takes the time to dig up the shit - and there’s plenty of that at the Health Council of the Netherlands.

There is a good case for Iraq’s Ministry for Human Rights to expand his government’s lawsuit (last message) to include the HCN for giving deceptive advice in 2002 that sanctioned the continuing use of DU in Iraq.

Don

Don

UK admits using DU ammunition in Iraq

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=135896&sectionid=351020201

Fri, 23 Jul 2010

UK defense secretary says American and British forces used depleted uranium (DU) ammunitions during the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

“UK forces used about 1.9 metric tons of depleted uranium ammunition in the Iraq war in 2003,” UK Defense Secretary Liam Fox said in a written reply to the House of Commons on Thursday, the Kuwait News Agency reported.

The announcement came after a joint study by the environment, health and science ministries in Iraq said there were communities near the cities of Najaf, Basra and Fallujah with increased rates of cancer and birth defects over the past five years.

More than 40 sites across Iraq are contaminated with high levels of radiation and dioxins.

Fox said the Ministry of Defense provided the coordinates of targets attacked using DU ammunition to the UN Environmental Program.

“They also exchanged information with humanitarian and other organizations; and warned Iraqis through signs and leaflets that they should not go near or touch any debris they find on the former battlefield,” he claimed.

The use of depleted uranium ammunition is widely controversial because of potential long-term health effects.

It is reported that the US and Britain used up to 2,000 tons of these ammunitions during the Iraq war.

The World Health Organization is now investigating the rising number of birth defects, which Iraqi doctors attribute to the use of chemical weapons and depleted uranium ammunition during the war.

Iraqi doctors say they’ have been struggling to cope with the rise in the number of cancer cases, especially in cities subjected to heavy US and British bombardment.

Iraq’s Ministry for Human Rights is expected to file a lawsuit against Britain and the US over their use of depleted uranium bombs in Iraq.

The ministry will seek compensation for the victims of these weapons.

AND:

Iraq to sue US, Britain over depleted uranium bombs
Mon, 01 Feb 2010

LInK: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=117557

A child born with defects attributable to exposure to depleted uranium (see archive photo on link)

Iraq’s Ministry for Human Rights will file a lawsuit against Britain and the US over their use of depleted uranium bombs in Iraq, an Iraqi minister says.

Iraq’s Minister of Human Rights, Wijdan Mikhail Salim, told Assabah newspaper that the lawsuit will be launched based on reports from the Iraqi ministries of science and the environment.

According to the reports, during the first year of the US and British invasion of Iraq, both countries had repeatedly used bombs containing depleted uranium.

According to Iraqi military experts, the US and Britain bombed the country with nearly 2,000 tons of depleted uranium bombs during the early years of the Iraq war.

Atomic radiation has increased the number of babies born with defects in the southern provinces of Iraq.

Iraqi doctors say they’ have been struggling to cope with the rise in the number of cancer cases —especially in cities subjected to heavy U-S and British bombardment.

The high rate of birth defects and cancer cases will move in the coming years to the central and northern provinces of Iraq since the radiation may penetrate the soil and water by air.

The ministry will seek compensation for the victims of these bombs. END

See Part II for the Health Council of The Netherlands take on the hazards of depleted uranium.

NOTICE

My PhD dissertation, The Procrustean Approach Setting Exposure Standards for Telecommunications Frequency Electromagnetic Radiation, is now available as a free download on the website of the International EMF Alliance. http://international-emf-alliance.org/ . Click on the publications box at the top.

This is an examination of the manipulation of telecommunications standards by political, military, and industrial vested interests at the expense of public health protection. It was written in order to be an important reference document for all those who are working towards the establishment of biologically relevant exposure standards.

Don Maisch PhD

It is interesting that while smart meters are being promoted as a way for consumers to save on their electrical usage it looks like the meters actually increase electricity prices, according to the state government of Victoria, Australia.

Don

Plug pulled on smart meter plan

Link: http://www.egov.vic.gov.au/victorian-government-resources/government-
initiatives-victoria/environment-victoria/energy-victoria/plug-pulled-on
-smart-meter-plan.html

Also see:

The Age
Plug pulled on smart meter plan
PAUL AUSTIN
March 23, 2010

Link: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/plug-pulled-on-smart-meter-plan-
20100322-qrdc.html

THE state government has temporarily pulled the plug on Victoria’s $2 billion smart energy meter program.

Energy Minister Peter Batchelor last night announced an indefinite moratorium on the rollout of the new technology to every home across the state - because of concerns pensioners and the poor would be hardest hit by higher electricity prices. Mr Batchelor made the announcement, an election-year embarrassment for the government, after meeting representatives of the poor, including St Vincent de Paul and the Victorian Council of Social Service. He made it clear the government intended to push ahead with the scheme, but gave no indication as to how long the moratorium might last.

The plan to install smart meters in all 2.5 million Victorian homes and small businesses over the next four years, and introduce a new time-of-use pricing regime, has been beset by controversy. The government argues the new technology, which can read a household’s energy use every 30 minutes, will enable people to monitor their use in peak periods and turn on high-energy appliances such as dishwashers during off-peak times. But charity groups estimate the meters, dubbed ”dumb meters” by the state opposition and already installed in more than 10,000 homes in Melbourne, could increase a household’s annual electricity bill by more than $250 a year. Victorian Auditor-General Des Pearson savaged the scheme in a report to Parliament late last year, saying installation costs had blown out from an original estimate of $800 million to more than $2 billion. ”There has been insufficient analysis to fully understand potential perverse outcomes, risks and unintended consequences for consumers,” he said. VCOSS chief executive Cath Smith last night welcomed the moratorium, saying Mr Batchelor had recognised that people who spend a lot of time at home during the day or who could not shift their energy use to off-peak times could suffer. Ms Smith said the elderly, long-term unemployed and people with disabilities might be hit hardest by the new pricing plan. ”It’s imperative the impacts of time-of-use pricing are investigated and measures are put in place to ensure low-income and disadvantaged households are not worse off,” she said. Mr Batchelor said last night: ”We are committed to ensuring the transition to a new pricing structure is managed carefully and sensibly.” He promised to regularly review the effect of time-of-use tariffs on families. But he defended smart meters, saying they would help Victorians tackle climate change.

(NOTE: See previous message # 1269: San Francisco 1st City to Require Warnings of Cell Phone Radiation Risk at Point of Sale)

San Francisco’s controversial cell phone radiation labeling law took a hit Friday when CTIA, which represents the wireless industry, filed suit against the city, arguing that officials had no right to hand down regulations on an issue already addressed by the Federal Communications Commission.

“The FCC has determined that all wireless phones legally sold in the United States are ’safe,’” John Walls, president of CTIA public affairs, said in a statement. “In contrast, the message conveyed by the San Francisco ordinance to consumers is that the FCC’s standards are insufficient and that the safety of an FCC-authorized wireless device depends on its [specific absorption rate] SAR level.”

In June, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a bill that would require cell phone vendors to disclose how much radiation their devices emit. Mayor Gavin Newsom signed it into law earlier this month.

When the legislation was introduced in January, Newsom acknowledged that cell phone manufacturers provide their radiation levels to the federal government, but argued that that data should be more easily accessible to the consumer.

The bill might also “encourage telephone manufacturers to redesign their devices to function at lower radiation levels,” Newsom said at the time.

CTIA argued that SAR data is publicly available on various Web sites and in a phone’s user manual. “CTIA’s objection to the ordinance is that displaying a phone’s SAR value at the point-of-sale suggests to the consumer that there is a meaningful safety distinction between FCC-compliant devices with different SAR levels,” Walls said.

San Francisco lawmakers are essentially telling customers that the FCC’s standards are insufficient and that the safety of a cell phone depends on its SAR level, Walls continued.

“Therefore, the ordinance contradicts the thorough review of the science by the FCC, FDA and other U.S. and international expert agencies, and will send consumers the false message that there is a safety difference between wireless devices that comply with the FCC’s stringent standards,” he said.

Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to a Friday request for comment.

Specifically, CTIA argued that the San Francisco ordinance unlawfully pre-empts federal law by tackling a subject “reserved exclusively to and occupied exclusively by the federal government.” The Communications Act, CTIA said, prohibits states from imposing conditions on “entry” to the wireless market, including point of sale warning and labeling requirements.

CTIA wants the California District Court to invalidate the San Francisco law, and hand down an injunction that would prevent the city from enforcing it.