Earth Justice, Jan. 31, 2007 HONOLULU -- Experts reviewing the proposal to locate a nuclear irradiator at Honolulu International Airport have rejected as baseless the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's claim the public would be safe from airplane crashes at the facility, which would be located next to active runways. They have also criticized the NRC for ignoring threats to the public from terrorist attack and the increased cancer risk associated with eating irradiated food. The public has an opportunity to express its views on the irradiator at a February 1, 2007 public hearing on the draft environmental assessment (EA), which the NRC prepared pursuant to a March 2006 settlement agreement with community group Concerned Citizens of Honolulu (represented by Earth justice). The NRC will also accept written comment until February 8, 2007.  The EA fails to discuss the public health threats associated with increasing the supply of irradiated food for human consumption, the primary purpose of the proposed irradiator. Recent studies have shown that eating irradiated food, such as the mangoes and papayas proposed for treatment at the Pa'ina irradiator, may promote colon cancer, noted Dr. William Au, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Community Health at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Dr. Au emphasized colon cancer is "a serious health problem in humans, causing approximately 60,000 deaths per year in the United States."