Take Action: New Harvard Study On Cancer, Proximity to Nuclear Power Plants
Supporters, this is to check in with an especially important update ~ You know that Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network (FFAN) has focused primarily on food safety since the triple nuclear meltdowns of 2011. Since 1994, colorectal cancer incidence has increased 51% in people younger than 50, climbing about 3% per year since 2011 in those aged 20 to 49. University of Chicago Medicine gastroenterologist Sonia Kupfer, MD, calls the shift “worrisome” adding, "Right now, we think environmental influences are underlying the rise in incidence.”
An important and rather obvious question to ask is if those environmental influences are related to Fukushima Daiichi’s unprecedented triple nuclear meltdowns and quadruple hydrogen explosions in early 2011. Long-lived, hazardous radioactive fallout was ejected into the atmosphere and circled the earth before coming down in the spring rainfall.
Cesium - 137 is a carcinogen with a half-life of 30 years, yet remains hazardous for 100 years. Japan’s government continues to systematically dump Fukushima radioactive wastewater into the Pacific over the next 40 years at minimum, and that's not counting accidents. Tritium and carbon-14 are not filtered.
The problem doesn't stop with Fukushima. Take the widespread radioactive shrimp recalls in 35 states from August through February, 2026. The Associated Press reported that cesium-137 was traced to a metal recycling plant in Indonesia. Consumer Reports found radioactivity had spread via a plume that carried at least 400 miles away where it was also detected in clove spices. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a bulletin warning the public that it was "very likely" that radioactive shrimp could continue to enter the US even after the recalls were over.
While this was happening, food recalled due to radioactivity was featured on the new food pyramid, along with guidelines urging pregnant women to consume up to 12 ounces per week! Women, pregnant women and girls are far more vulnerable to cesium-137 than boys and men, although it impacts everyone. The food pyramid is more than a poster or online graphic: it accompanies the Dietary Guidelines for Americans which provides guidance for national health policies, military menus, the National School Lunch Program and more.
It's important to note that the shrimp was flagged at 68 Becquerels per kilogram or nearly 18 times lower than what the FDA currently considers safe for US citizens at 1,200 Bq/kg! The recalls brought intense public scrutiny to the massive gap between federal enforcement guidelines between agencies as well as actual public health concerns.
But there's more, such as this recent landmark Harvard study which found that "U.S. counties located closer to nuclear power plants experienced higher cancer mortality rates, even after accounting for socioeconomic, environmental, and health care factors. The researchers estimated that over the course of the study period, roughly 115,000 cancer deaths across the U.S. (or about 6,400 deaths per year) were attributed to proximity to NPPs." Researchers found that the cancers include colorectal, which is GI related.
What can be done now? As the current administration executive orders to expand and deregulate the nuclear industry are upon us, FFAN's Citizen Petition to FDA remains open to public comment. We must continue to demand far more stringent guidelines than the current derived intervention level of 1,200 Bq/kg of cesium-137 in our food supply. Commenting to the FDA with a few sentences is fine, because all input is important and recorded in the public record.
If you've already left a comment, thank you. It's fine to leave another, as the situation is only becoming more shocking with news of colorectal cancer rates rising in young adults at such an alarming rate. Feel free to comment about the food pyramid too, and the recent Harvard study.
Where to comment? The companion petition for signature is at MoveOn, which includes a link to the FDA petition for comment at Regulation.gov. Just a few sentences in your comment is fine, your words matter! If you need assistance or have any questions please email me at FFAN0311@gmail.com. Then call FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD and leave a quick message for Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas urging him to act on the 2013 Citizen Petition. We've waited far too long as it is.
More information soon regarding executive order 14300 which seeks to expand and deregulate the nuclear power industry. For now, I'm asking you to comment to FDA and also spread the word. I realize your time is valuable, thanks for reading and taking action today.
~ Kim
Kimberly Roberson, Director
Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network
A Project of the National Institute for Science, Law and Public Policy
ffan0311@gmail.com