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one Ohio Mother is suing a nuclear power plant, claiming radiation The exposure led to the death of her 19-year-old daughter ten years ago.
Julia Dunham is suing Centrus Energy, which currently operates the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, following the 2015 death of her daughter, Cheyenne Dunham. Reported by the World Health Organization.
The Dunhams lived near the uranium plant until Cheyenne was a teenager, and growing up she would play in the creek and eat food grown near the plant, litigationthe claim was filed in late November.
Cheyenne started having health problems when she was 16 and underwent two bone marrow transplants to avoid leukemia. She became seriously ill and later died after a second transplant, the lawsuit states.
The Dunhams’ lawsuit is one of many reportedly blaming illness or death on uranium plants that have been closed due to environmental concerns.
Despite these concerns, last September Centrus announced plans to expand the former uranium plant and create 300 new jobs in uranium enrichment, WCMH reported at the time.
independent Centrus has been contacted for comment.
The Dunhams’ lawsuit also states that Cheyenne spent three years at Jens Point Middle School, about two miles from the uranium plant.
The school was abruptly closed in 2019 due to health concerns after enriched uranium was detected on the premises, the report said.
However, when Cheyenne was 16, she developed serious health problems. At one point, her legs turned blue and she was taken to the emergency room. There, doctors discovered blood clots in her legs and lungs, and she was diagnosed with GATA deficiency, a rare disease that causes a weakened immune system and bone marrow failure.
The teen received two bone marrow transplants but became seriously ill after the second transplant in February 2015, the lawsuit said. In May of that year, her body rejected the transplant, and she died in November.
The lawsuit claims Cheyenne’s deteriorating health was a direct result of her proximity to the uranium plant.
The lawsuit also states that studies of the area surrounding the uranium plant found high levels of radiation. One study found that cancer rates among people under 25 who lived near uranium plants were three times higher than in the rest of Ohio.
Julia Dunham asked for a jury trial and for Cheyenne to pay for funeral expenses, medical bills and emotional distress.
Julia Dunham was also involved in a 2019 lawsuit in which she and four other parents sued the plant on behalf of their children. Parents claimed radiation released from the uranium plant contaminated their property and endangered their children.
Meanwhile, Centrus has reportedly begun renovations at the Piketon facility in the hope of starting updated uranium enrichment work in 2029.