Atom bomb tests spark cancer scare

Press, 27 October 1982, Page 9

Atom bomb tests spark cancer scare

NZPA Salt Lake City America's top health official said yesterday that above-ground atom ' bomb tests probably caused cancer in residents, and the Government made some very bad mistakes in handling the tests during the 1950 s and 19605.

The comments by the Health and Human Services secretary, Mr Richard Schweiker, were made as the Government was in court defending itself against claims by scores of westerners that bomb tests gave them and their loved ones cancer.

"My position is where there is smoke there is fire," Mr Schweiker said during a news conference.

“I believe enough questions have been raised and enough shown in the (court) hearings to indicate that there is a great deal of suspicion and a great deal probably that is true."

Mr Schweiker said that evidence produced by medical studies and public hearings indicated that radioactive fall-out had caused cancer among residents of southern Utah. Nevada and northern Arizona.

A District Judge. Mr Bruce Jenkins, is hearing a law suit in which 24 representative plaintiffs claim that they or their relatives had suffered cancer after exposure to heavy fall-out from atmospheric tests in the Nevada desert between 1951 and 1962.

The court is considering the representative cases to

determine how the claims'of more than 1000 others should be handled. Mr Schweiker conceded that his comments had conflicted with the position of the Justice Department lawyers who contended that the tests caused no deaths or illnesses, and he said that the Reagan Administration is divided in its view of the •case.

"We all have different perspectives and different points of view. All I can do is speak to the health and scientific research part of it.

“I think fairness and equity demand we get answers to those questions,” he said. As the hearings brought out, we made some bad mistakes in policy judgment in the way the tests were handled.”

He said that he expected research being conducted at the University of Utah to help produce new. lower standards for the level of radiation exposure for nuclear workers. Meanwhile, America's Catholic bishops yesterday issued a draft pastoral letter opposing the use of nuclear weapons against civilian targets or in response to nonnuclear attacks. The letter, issued by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, could put Catholics in the armed forces into conflict with American policy.

The United States has not ruled out the use of nuclear weapons in response to an attack by conventional Soviet forces in Europe.