1288: Depleted Uranium litigation and The Health Council of the Netherlands (Part II)
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
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