Cancer Clusters Among TSA Workforce (Potential Risk From Scanners?)

I don't know if simply going through a scanner once or twice every so often bothers me as a radiation risk. But the workforce who have to be around it might be facing a much higher risk factor.


TSA 'ignored warnings' on cancer cluster
Posted on Jun 28th 2011 by Kate Taylor

http://www.tgdaily.com/hardware-features/56899-tsa-ignored-warnings-on-cancer-cluster

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) says it's got evidence that the Department of Homeland Security has failed to properly evaluate the level of risk from airport body scanners.

In a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the DHS, EPIC says it's obtained documents concerning the scanners' radiation risks, including agency emails, radiation studies, memoranda of agreement concerning radiation testing programs and the results of some radiation tests.

EPIC says that TSA staff have been concerned that a large number of workers have been falling victim to cancer, strokes and heart disease. But the documents show that the TSA's response was simply to tell them: "Because TSA systems comply with federal regulations, the increased risk of developing radiation-induced cancer in later life is extremely small, no greater than other risks people routinely accept in their daily lives".

snip


...................................................
TSA Workers Fear Radiation Dangers From Scanners

http://wusa9.com/news/article/156513/373/TSA-Workers-Fear-Radiation-Dangers-From-Scanners

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) --- After wading through documents he secured with a Freedom Of Information Act filing, the Executive Director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Marc Rotenberg told 9NEWS NOW, "We think that the Department of Homeland Security has not been forthcoming with the public about the true extent of radiation risk with the airport body scanners."

The release of new documents follows concerns of TSA workers that they are being exposed to dangerous levels of radiation as they conduct the screenings. Union representatives in Boston cite an increase in cancer cases among the TSA workforce there and have asked the agency to allow its members to wear radiation monitoring devices.

Some scientists do not trust the agency's science. In a letter to President Obama's Science Advisor, several University of California professors conclude: "There is still no rigorous, hard, data for the safety of x-ray airport passenger scanners."

snip

"It's one branch of government that's made the decision to deploy these devices and it's the same branch of government which is evaluating its own program. That's a recipe for a problem," Rotenberg said.

If this increase is scanner related, there should be a difference in the types.

might be most likely.

Radiation be damned.

After all, what does the govt care about TSA workers? It's most important to rake in those buckos that make rich people richer.

http://epic.org/privacy/airtravel/backscatter/epic_v_dhs_radiation.html#foia

At the bottom of the page the documents are linked.

A few things I see that are odd. First, this increase only seems to be at Logan airport, the first article makes it seem as though it is everywhere, the second article gets it right. Second, I see no mention of stroke or heart disease... and how would a scanner cause those anyway? (what is a stroke? a blood clot? or something else?).

every rule was broken to get these machines sold to the government.

The scanners are "safe" because the TSA says so.

But the blue shirted clerks aren't allowed to wear dosimeters. And now we're learning why.

Yet another experiment being conducted on the population by moneyed interests masquerading as a government agency.

and reinforces all the communist/socialist antibusiness stereotypes.

There isn't a chance in the world that these fantastic devices were implemented with anything but 100% good faith.

:sarcasm:

Like when someone gets a terminal illness. Still...

Next will be passengers - but because the timeline is long, they won't be able to sue Chertoff and L-3.

Oh well. At least they'll have flown without being blown out of the sky. :sarcasm:

And they'll remember the TSA grope with some sort of fondness.

it took quite a while for that to show up. Maybe it's some other work-related exposure causing the clusters? I do think they should be wearing radiation monitoring devices however.