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Report finds Mururoa radiation exposure not harmful

Author
Michael Sergel,
Publish Date
Thu, 22 Oct 2015, 9:45PM
Mururoa Atoll, the site of 1973 nuclear testing by France (Photo: Getty Images)
Mururoa Atoll, the site of 1973 nuclear testing by France (Photo: Getty Images)

Report finds Mururoa radiation exposure not harmful

Author
Michael Sergel,
Publish Date
Thu, 22 Oct 2015, 9:45PM

A report has found Navy personnel sent to Mururoa in 1973 weren't exposed to harmful levels of radiation.

The Labour Government sent two warships for a month each to monitor and protest French nuclear testing.

French military documents declassified in 2013 revealed the tests created higher levels of fallout over a wider area than previously thought.

But a Government-commissioned report has found Navy crews received no more exposure than their families in New Zealand.

It found natural background radiation was low, and crews received no exposure from drinking distilled seawater.

The Mururoa Nuclear Veterans Group called for the review, amid concerns radiation may have affected the crew members and their offspring.

In a statement, the group says its members and executive will review the report before making an official response.

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