By Steven Starr, MT (ASCP), PSR Senior Scientist The destruction of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011, caused by an earthquake and subsequent tsunami, resulted in massive radioactive contamination of the Japanese mainland. In November 2011, the Japanese Science Ministry reported that long-lived radioactive cesium had contaminated 11,580 square miles (30,000 sq …
What You Need to Know About Your Health Fact sheet on health impacts of particulate matter.
PSR fact sheet detailing the health effects of air pollutants on the respiratory system.
PSR fact sheet detailing the health effects of air pollutants on the cardiovascular system.
Only a single failure of nuclear deterrence is required to start a nuclear war, and the consequences of such a failure would be profound.
A brief overview of the dangers to health from hexavalent chromium in coal ash.
The Environmental Protection Agency is currently receiving public comments on its proposed regulations for coal ash handling and disposal. PSR strongly supports the option called “Subtitle C,” which would create uniform, federally enforceable standards that would greatly strengthen protections for human health.
The toxic substances found in coal ash can inflict grave damage to the human body and the environment. These substances have been shown to escape from some coal ash disposal sites, contaminating the air, land, surface waters, and/or underground aquifers that feed drinking water wells.
Coal ash is the waste that is left after coal is combusted (burned). It includes fly ash (fine powdery particles that are carried up the smoke stack and captured by pollution control devices) as well as coarser materials that fall to the bottom of the furnace. Most coal ash comes from coal-fired electric power plants.
The nuclear industry seeks to revitalize itself by manipulating the public’s concerns about global warming and energy insecurity to promote nuclear power as a clean and safe way to curb emissions of greenhouse gases and reduce dependence on foreign energy resources. Despite these claims by industry proponents, a thorough examination of the full life-cycle of …