Letter: Hanford Health Network has some good information

Monday, Sept. 20, 1999 | 8:48 a.m.

Since 1993 the Hanford Health Information Network (HHIN) has offered a public information and referral service. The HHIN serves people nationwide who want to know about the Hanford Nuclear Reservation's past (1944-1972) releases of radioactive materials and the potential health effects of radiation exposure.

Hanford, in southeast Washington state, was built in 1943 by the U.S. government to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons. Since the science isn't settled, HHIN provides information from an array of perspectives. This way people have more complete information and can make up their own minds.

Nearly 40,000 people now living around the nation and world have contacted the Network to receive regular updates on radiation science and health. Callers to HHIN toll-free lines frequently ask: Was my cancer caused by radiation from Hanford? Does low-level radiation damage the immune system? Will a problem show up in the children, grandchildren of people who are exposed to radiation? The Network is a project of the state health agencies of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The national HHIN toll-free information line is (800) 959-7660.

BEA KELLEIGH Executive director, Hanford Health Information Network Resource Center