Dear Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Toshimitsu Motegi,

Despite the continuing disaster at Fukushima No. 1, there remains one final myth regarding nuclear power plants in Japan: Namely, that in the absence of a major accident, a normally operating nuclear power plant is safe. However, the now-verifiable reality is that it is not, at least not for residents living in the vicinity of the plant.

As early as 2007, Germany's Federal Office for Radiation Protection published a thoroughly researched study titled "Childhood Cancer Rates Near Nuclear Power Plants." The study covered 24 years (1980-2003) and included 1,592 children with cancer and 4,735 controls living around 16 nuclear power sites throughout Germany.