Leak at Dimona caused cancers among staff

A former deputy head of Dimona nuclear plant's safety division told a court hearing on a complaint by 44 employees and their families that, "There have been mishaps since the day the facility was built," the Haaretz reported on Thursday. Workers at the Dimona nuclear reactor say they have been sickened during their work at the plant, revealing information on radiation leaks. A hearing was held on Wednesday on the complaint by 44 employees and their families that the workers are suffering from cancer and other diseases due to radiation at work. Their attorney cited memos purportedly showing that safety problems led to the leak of radioactive substances. The former reactor official, Dan Litai, witness for the defense was asked about an incident involving a radiation leak. He said he knew there had been radiation leaks including one near an area that was supposed to be relatively free of radioactive material. He said there had been several cases of technical problems and it was not clear which he was being asked about. "Mishaps occur," Litai told the court. "There have been mishaps there since the day the Dimona facility was built, and I assume there still are."