Chapter 12 – Environmental Injustice Inherent in Radiation Dose Standards

Abstract Use of commercial nuclear fission causes massive environmental injustice (EIJ), both under normal conditions and after accidents. Some of the key victims of this injustice are children, poor people, radiation workers, and future generations. This chapter (1) provides a brief overview of the Fukushima, Japan nuclear accident, and (2) shows why children, poor people, and radiation workers face the most EIJ because of the accident. It also (3) explains why, even under normal operating conditions, atomic energy causes EIJ to children, poor people, radiation workers, and future generations. Apart from economic hardships that prevent people from leaving risky areas or jobs, the chapter (4) argues that there are two fundamental reasons—poor risk disclosure and poor regulations—for higher radiation exposures and EIJ among children, poor people, nuclear workers, and future generations. In both accident and nonaccident cases, government and industry typically fail to adequately disclose radiation risks, and radiation regulations fail to adequately protect children, workers, poor people, and future generations. Societal rules/regulations themselves, not just the aberrant practices of some unethical people, thus promote EIJ.