reprinted with permission from
Poison Fire, Sacred Earth,
TESTIMONIES, LECTURES, CONCLUSIONS,
THE WORLD URANIUM HEARING, SALZBURG 1992
pages 116-119
. . . In my opinion, the small peoples of
northern Russia nowadays find themselves in a
state of severe social and psychological stress. And
they might never succeed in getting out of
this, if no legislative, economic and various other
measures are taken to meet the interests of the
small peoples of the North. One of these measures
could and should be the carrying-out of
radiometric and other examinations not only in
the cities and villages, but also in places of
historical and factual habitation of the small
peoples of the North, i.e. nomadic camps,
migration paths and pastures.
It is absolutely necessary that these
examinations be conducted by independent and
competent scientists under the permanent control
or with the assistance of the Association of the
Small Peoples of the North. It is necessary for us
to find a way to the truth together without being
frightened off by secret-mongering or sensationalism,
whatever this truth might turn out to be. Unfortunately,
in our country, and this is
especially true for the native peoples of the
North, the way to the truth is often blocked not
only by ideological, but also by financial
obstacles.
Larissa Abrjutina
Larissa Abrjutina, Chukchi Nation, Siberia, CIS. Medical doctor in
Bilibino, President of the Regional Association of the Small Peoples
of the Chukchi Peninsula.
(This speech was held originally in Russian)
Dear Organizers and Participants of this Hearing! My name is Larissa Abrjutina and I come from the Chukchi Peninsula in Siberia. I was born into a family of reindeer breeders. I went through medical school and nowadays work as a doctor with a mobile medical care unit. In this way, I am serving my fellow countrymen, i.e. reindeer breeders, hunters and fishermen. Now I was given the honour of being invited to this representative forum. First of all, I have to say that I have never been a direct witness or victim of either the testing of nuclear weapons or the mining of radioactive minerals. However, I am quite often confronted with facts that might be directly, indirectly or only hypothetically related to radiation.
For five to six years, the native inhabitants have been turning to me in my capacity as a doctor and the President of the Regional Association of the Small Peoples of the Chukchi Peninsula with their worries about a possible exposure to radiation. This anxiety has been caused by statements and information published by the mass media and by confidential data passed on by some former geologists. On considering this information, the native inhabitants (reindeer breeders, hunters) have come upon facts confirming their suspicions. But what kind of facts are these? Animals have recently started suffering from various kinds of anomalies. These include a reindeer epidemic, calves are born with various birth-defects and so on. And people start to remember that somewhere out on the pastures there are still the deserted houses and buildings of the old mines. But the most important thing is that their anxiety is mainly caused by the fact that more and more often, native inhabitants die of cancer. Between 1960 and 1969, the average cancer mortality rate on the Chukchi Peninsula was 171 incidences per year and per 100,000 inhabitants. But during 1980 and 1988, the mortality rate went up to 221 incidences per year and per 100,000 inhabitants. The structure of oncological diseases, the localization of tumors and the geographical distribution is changing. The number of rectal, uteral and renal tumors and the number of tumors of the larynx has risen noticeably. From 1981 to 1991, the average cancer mortality rate of the native population in the Bilibino region was at about 218 incidences per year and per 100,000 inhabitants, but the cancer mortality rate reached its climax in 1985, when there were 529 fatalities to 100,000 inhabitants. More than 70 percent of the people at working age suffer from oncological diseases. The increase in mortality due to cancer is obvious to such an extent that even the simple shepherds and hunters, who have never heard of any statistics, have become aware of it. Lately I have been noticing a growing cancerophobia among them. It is the feeling of being in the clutches of cancer. There was a time, when fear of death was still a stranger to my people.
If we assume that the reason for the increase in cancerous diseases and other anomalies is to be found in an increased degree of radioactivity, then in our region there might be several sources of radiation, of both natural and artificial origin.
First of all, there are deposits of uranium and other radioactive minerals. In our region, one of these deposits in the district of the town Pevek is officially known. Here in the mountains, there used to be a uranium mine in the late forties and in the beginning of the fifties. The people working there were prisoners from a Stalinistic concentration camp. Later on, this camp was quite hastily dissolved and the mine was closed down.
However, there are rumours that on the territory of the Chukchi Peninsula, there are, nevertheless, uranium prospects which correspond with an increased radiation in these areas. But this I know only by hearsay.
A second possible source of radiation is the vegetation, e.g. the reindeer moss or lichens, that are known to accumulate radionuclides, which in turn act upon the human organism via the nutrition chain moss - reindeer - man. Here it is necessary to add that the life of the reindeer breeders on the Chukchi Peninsula is closely connected to, and to a great extent depends on, the reindeer. As they did in the past, they use reindeer hide to sew their clothing, sleeping bags, tents and huts up to the present day. Every day their food ration includes a piece of reindeer meat or bone-marrow. Most of the time of the year they use melted snow for their drinking water. If the concentration of radionuclides within the plants has increased due to nuclear fallout after nuclear testings, then obviously their effect on the human organism has also increased with every day. However, in order to be able to talk about this not only hypothetically, one needs concrete facts, i.e. the results and data of a radiological analysis. From official sources we know that: "In the area around the uranium mine there has been an incident of contamination of the soil. However, nowadays the mine lies deserted and the native population has no access to it."
There have been some statements on the part of former geologists to the extent that somewhere between 1962 and 1963, a noticeable rise in the gamma-background of the precipitation was detected as well as an increased concentration of radioactive elements of an artificial origin in plants, i.e. reindeer moss and mushrooms. To my regret, we are not in possession of any other detailed information on the radiological situation on the Chukchi Peninsula -- it either does not exist, or it is simply not accessible for us. It is not possible to carry out a radiological analysis on our own, as the mobile medical care unit does not even own a simple radiation detection instrument. In 1991, the radiologist of the regional sanitary-epidemical center at our request went on a flight into the tundra together with us. The measurements, made with a simple radiometer in three different places, showed normal results.
For several years I have been asking the Department of Geology to clarify the situation. As everybody knows, geological analyses are always accompanied by radiological measurings. Unfortunately, these data were confidential until recently. This also serves as an explanation for the evasive and vague answers we received in 1990 and 1991. Now these data were transferred to a special department for "official use". It was probably for this reason that already in 1992 the geologists confirmed in their replies the existence of sites with an increased degree of radioactivity in this region "in the form of isolated anomalies of 60-80 R/h", which are, as they say, of no harm to the reindeer breeders. I, as a doctor, do not have a well-founded reason for not believing these official data. But is it so unlikely that, taking the second step towards disclosing all secrets, these geologists or radiologists will soon tell us that these anomalies are, in fact, quite substantial as regards the size of the areas affected and the danger they represent for the population? But it would be even worse, if the curtains of secret-mongering were drawn again on this information and the native inhabitants were left to keep on leading their nomadic life, wandering across uranium deposits and contaminated pastures.
The third reason is possibly a hypothetical one: nuclear energetics. In our village in Bilibino there is a nuclear power plant. Some time ago, rumours were being spread about its danger potential, radioactive emissions and so on. However, the regional radiological authorities have been trying to dispel any suspicions. According to their statements, the radiological situation within a diameter of 30 kilometers around the nuclear power plant has remained the same as before the commissioning of the reactor. I am convinced of the reliability of such data. Also, I will not set myself to criticizing the construction of the plant and other things. I am worried by something completely different. In our country both small and great accidents were more than once triggered by violations of the operating and security regulations, i.e. by simple negligence.
In general, such accidents and their causes are kept secret from the population. Unfortunately, they also happen in our region. On June 10, 1991, for example, a local contamination of a part of the road next to the dry waste depot on the territory of the Bilibino Nuclear Power Plant took place during the transportation of radioactive waste. It is very sad that they even tried to keep this relatively small accident a secret, and it was only after some ten days that a message about this was published in the newspaper. If a catastrophe was to happen in the nuclear power plant, isn't it irrelevant, what actually was the cause of it -- a bad construction or bad discipline? In such conditions as are prevailing in the polar or permanent ice regions, it is very hard to predict the effect such a catastrophe would have on Russia as well as on other countries. However, it is easy to tell the effect it would have on the native population of the Chukchi Peninsula: It would simply cease to exist. This is why people get apprehensive when they suddenly see a column of smoke rising from above the nuclear power plant. And every time you have to take a guess: What is it? A harmless burning of waste products or the onset of some nuclear catastrophe?
There is yet another source that is ionizing the population. Although it is not directly related to the subject of this Hearing, I would like to linger upon it for a short time. In the northern regions, there is a high percentage of people suffering from tuberculosis, especially among the native population. The basic diagnostic method has always been the x-ray method. As there was a distinct lack of suitable equipment, dental and portable x-ray equipment was used instead, which was in a make-shift way reassembled by the doctors themselves to fit the purpose. Radioscopies and radiographies of the chest were conducted in conditions not unlike those in field hospitals. Thus, in trying to detect tuberculosis, the doctors unintentionally increased the total dose of irradiation. How high the dose actually was, is difficult to determine nowadays.
Maybe all the sources of radiation are not the only reason for our misery. Lately the local and central press has been paying more attention to this. And, of course, the insight on the part of society has also increased. Of special interest among all these publications were the articles of the doctor of medicine, Lupandina. The titles of these articles speak for themselves: "Chernobyl on the Chukchi Peninsula", "We were headed for America, but ended up with ourselves". From these articles follows that the Chukchi Peninsula has become a radioactive disaster zone. Needless to say that these articles have attracted the attention of society. But even a simple analysis of the contents upon reading the articles for the first time already evokes your scepticism. It is obvious even to a non-professional that he is laying it on thick and that the facts do not hold their ground. Naturally, a whole army of professionals, scientists and journalists could not wait to analyze and scrutinize Lupandina's article. Most of them came to the conclusion that the articles are preposterous, i.e. the facts are imaginary ones and the conclusions incorrect. Thus, due to some inaccurate facts and free interpretations presented in the articles, Lupandina was proven to be wrong. In the end, these articles that had at first caused a real explosion of interest within society, led up to a general disappointment and a growing disbelief in revealing material on this subject. Reasonable vigilance was taken over by indifference. About this, almost unwillingly a question comes up: Was this an intentional outcome? At first, the broad publication of a nonsensical article and afterwards, an even broader criticism of it. Well, if Lupandina is not right, then why does the cancer mortality rate among the natives keep on rising? This question remains unanswered.
By the way, the native population hardly reacts to such outbursts of information. This is not because they are illiterate or believe that nothing can happen to them. The reason for this is a different one. In my opinion, the small peoples of northern Russia nowadays find themselves in a state of severe social and psychological stress. And they might never succeed in getting out of this, if no legislative, economic and various other measures are taken to meet the interests of the small peoples of the North. One of these measures could and should be the carrying-out of radiometric and other examinations not only in the cities and villages, but also in places of historical and factual habitation of the small peoples of the North, i.e. nomadic camps, migration paths and pastures.
It is absolutely necessary that these examinations be conducted by independent and competent scientists under the permanent control or with the assistance of the Association of the Small Peoples of the North. It is necessary for us to find a way to the truth together without being frightened off by secret-mongering or sensationalism, whatever this truth might turn out to be. Unfortunately, in our country, and this is especially true for the native peoples of the North, the way to the truth is often blocked not only by ideological, but also by financial obstacles.
Thank you very much for your attention.