By Mike Benjamin
Oswego, NY – Oswego County's three nuclear reactors would be part of a proposed national study on the cancer risk nuclear power plants may pose to their surrounding communities.
The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans to conduct the study, along with the National Academy of Sciences. The study would build on a 1990 study that focused mainly on cancer death rates. The new study would look at all diagnosed cases of cancer near nuclear power plants.
Neil Sheehan is a spokesman for the NRC. He said the commission will look at the results of the new study to determine if any regulatory action is needed.
"If cancer rates around a particular plant are noticeably high than around other plants then obviously that's something the Federal government will want to take a closer look at," said Sheehan, "If the numbers turn out to be inconsequential than follow up may not be necessary. But we'll let the study go where it does and then at the end of this we'll step back and analyze it and determine what needs to happen next.
Sheehan said the NRC expects to look at all 104 operating nuclear reactions in the U.S. The study is expected to take two-to-three years to complete.