The Acreage Cancer Study

Hi Everyone,

There will be no Blog entries next week: July 26th - July 30th. For updates, please visit the Forums.

We have posted the soil results for the Dunsford home on the Forum under the topic: Soil Results. If you would like to review the report yourself, click here.

The report does show different types of contaminants in the soil, however none were listed (at this home) as exceeding acceptable limits.

After reviewing the water and soil results, we have several questions. For example: Is any contamination ok? Is it possible that even contamination below state/federal limitations can cause illness/cancer, especially in children?

We look forward to reading your thoughts and ideas on this matter.

Have a great weekend!

Children's Environmental Health

Chemicals of Special Concern to Children's Health

Numerous chemical substances are present in our environment; theymay be found in the air we breathe, the water we use for drinking andbathing, in our food, and in consumer products. Children as a group are considered to be more sensitive to chemicals in the environment than the general population due to a variety of factors, including differences in physiology and a higher rate of food and water intake per pound of body weight. For more information about why children represent a key area of concern in the field of environmental health,see MDH's Children's Environmental Health Background Page.

Certain classes of chemicals have attracted attention from the scientific community, as well as from the media and the general public, for their potential impact on the health of children. These include pesticides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals such as arsenic, mercury, lead, and cadmium, and endocrine disruptors, such as bisphenol A. The chemicals described on this page are not intended to be an exhaustive list, but include chemicals that have attracted increased public attention recently due to concerns about children's exposure.The term "special concern," therefore, is intended to indicate chemicals that have attracted public and media interest, and not necessarily higher toxicity, greater hazard to public health, or priority for regulation by the state.

How can pesticides affect children's health?

Pesticides are a diverse group of chemicals, and exposure can cause a variety of harmful effects. Whether there will be any effect and, if so, the type of effect, depends not only on the particular pesticide and the amount taken into the body, but also on the frequency and duration of the contact. Other factors that may play a role in determining the outcome of an exposure are the age and general health of the person exposed and whether the pesticide is ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin.

Insecticides primarily affect the nervous system. Some symptoms associated with high, short-term exposures to insecticides include headaches, blurred vision, salivation, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps, slow pulse, diarrhea, confusion, and weakness. Very high exposures can cause paralysis, tremors or convulsions, loss of consciousness, and death. Effects of lower but longer lasting exposures are more subtle. Pesticides may also affect other organs, such as the liver and the kidneys, or they may affect development or cause cancer.

How can VOCs affect children's health?

The ability of VOCs to cause health effects varies greatly depending on the chemical. As with other pollutants, the extent and nature of the health effect also depends on other factors, including the level of exposure and the length of time exposed.

Some symptoms associated with high VOC exposures are eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, and impaired memory. These symptoms usually pass a short time after the exposure has ended and have no long-term effects. Long-term exposures to high levels of some VOCs, such as benzene, have been shown to cause cancer. Other effects from long-term exposures to high levels of VOCs include damage to the nervous system, the kidney, and the liver. Health effects from low-level exposures to VOCs are generally unknown.

How can PAHs affect children's health?

Of the more than 100 chemicals classified as PAHs, only a few have been subject to intensive scientific study. While it is difficult to generalize about this broad range of chemicals, it is certain that some PAHs, either individually or in mixtures with others, can cause adverse health effects. Whether other PAHs may have any impact on health and, if so, the nature of that impact, is largely unknown.

Some PAHs have the ability to cause cellular mutations and are considered carcinogenic. Inhalation of high levels of PAHs in occupational settings has been shown to cause respiratory effects and immune system depression in humans. Mixtures of PAHs can cause skin disorders in humans. In laboratory studies, some PAHs have also been shown to cause developmental effects and changes in kidney and liver functioning. While these effects have not been reported for humans, it is safest to assume that some adverse effects may be possible and to try to reduce exposures. As with exposure to any chemical, health effects resulting from exposure to PAHs will depend on the duration and frequency of exposure, as well as the quantity of the PAH present, and whether exposure occurs by inhalation, ingestion, or dermal contact.

Benzo(a)pyrene is one PAH which has been studied extensively. This PAH is considered a potent carcinogen, meaning low doses may cause cancer. The toxicities of other, less potent, PAHs are commonly evaluated relative to benzo(a)pyrene.

For more information, Click Here.

Hi Everyone,

As many of you know, the soil results have been released to homeowners. We will be posting the Dunsford report as soon as we can upload it all online. Once we have the report ready to go, we will be posting it on the Forum for you to see.

Reminder: there will be no Blog postings next week. For up to date information, please visit the Forums.

Below are several articles that may be of interest to you. We hope you enjoy them.

Have a great day!

State tests find some hazards in Acreage soil, but DEP doesn't say if they're linked to cancer cluster

By Mitra Malek

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

July 21, 2010

THE ACREAGE — State environmental officials have posted results of soil contamination sampling, the last phase of environmental tests that Acreage residents have been waiting for to help tease out whether pollution could have contributed to a childhood brain cancer cluster in their community.

State officials said they expect to release more detailed information in coming weeks, along with posting a guide on the Internet to explain how to interpret the results.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Acreage homes 'safe for families,' state environmental official says as soil tests find no link to cancer cluster

By Mitra Malek

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

July 21, 2010

THE ACREAGE — After more than a year of a government investigation that cost at least a quarter-million dollars, Acreage residents don’t have anything to blame for their community’s cancer cluster — and they might never have a culprit.

The last in a series of state-run environmental tests has confirmed that contamination doesn’t appear to be linked to the semi-rural community’s elevated rate of childhood brain tumors.

Results from recent soil tests show no significant pollution and no contaminants known to be linked to brain cancer, state officials said today.

“We were quite relieved,” said Mary Jean Yon, director of the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Waste Management. “We feel comfortable drawing a general conclusion that residential property in The Acreage is safe for families to enjoy activities outside.”

But the question of what — if anything — caused the spike remains.

Richard Cotromano, whose elementary-school-age daughter was diagnosed with an optic glioma in 2004, learned that his soil had no contamination.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Port Clinton residents worry about possible cancer cluster

By Sarah Weber

Less than 20 miles from where the Ohio Department of Health verifieda childhood cancer cluster in Sandusky County, Port Clinton residentsare wondering if they’re living in a cancer cluster of their own. 

Maria Claus Konoff, 43, of Ottawa Hills, graduated from Port Clinton High School in 1985. 

Since then, she said half her class has either been diagnosed with cancer, or has a family member with the disease. 

Her own diagnosis of thyroid cancer inspired her to look into whattoxic remnants of Port Clinton’s industrial past might be lurking inthe soil or water. 

She poured through land holdings records, looked at reports on old industrial dumping sites and called for help from the Center forHealth, Environment and Justice. 

“I don’t know what’s there, I just know the ground is not safe,” Konoff said at a meeting Wednesday night at Our Guest Inn in Port Clinton.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Penn State staffer discusses water risk with gas drilling
By Liz Hayes

Valley News Dispatch

July 21, 2010

ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP — A Penn State educator advised people living near Marcellus shale natural gas wells to have their drinking water tested before drilling starts.

Dana Rizzo, a water quality expert from the Penn State Cooperative Extension in Westmoreland County, Tuesday spoke of the possible impact drilling could have on water sources.

Rizzo said there are several ways in which the deep Marcellus wells could pollute water, but it's what could happen above ground that worries her the most.

"My biggest concern is spills on the surface," Rizzo said.

She said surface spills occur much closer to drinking water sources than much of the drilling activity.

Surface spills can occur when drillers use trucks to haul water and chemicals to and from well sites and when impoundment ponds leak.

Marcellus drilling relies heavily on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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'Fracking': EPA Takes New Look At Natural Gas Drilling And Possible Water Contamination

By Marc Levy and Mary Esch

Huffington Post

July 20, 2010

HARRISBURG, Pa. — So vast is the wealth of natural gas locked into dense rock deep beneath Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and Ohio that some geologists estimate it's enough to supply the entire East Coast for 50 years.

But freeing it requires a powerful drilling process called hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," using millions of gallons of water brewed with toxic chemicals, that some fear could pollute water above and below ground and deplete aquifers.

As gas drillers swarm to this lucrative Marcellus Shale region and blast into other shale reserves around the country, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking a new look at the controversial fracking technique,currently exempt from federal regulation. The $1.9 million study comes as the nation reels from the Deepwater Horizon environmental and economic disaster playing out in the Gulf of Mexico.

The oil and gas industry steadfastly defends the process as having been proven safe over many years as well as necessary to keep the nation on a path to energy independence.

Studies have "consistently shown that the risks are managed, it's safe, it's a technology that's essential ... it's also a technology that's well-regulated," said Lee Fuller, director of the industry coalition Energy In Depth.

"A fair study," Fuller added, "will show that the procedures that are there now are highly effective and do not need to be altered – the federal government does not need to be there."

To view the full article, Click Here.

Hi Everyone,

The next Acreage Community Focus Group Meeting has been scheduled for August 5th at 6:30 p.m. Please mark your calendars and keep an eye out for email reminders.

Video from the July 19th meeting has been released. To watch the video, Click Here.

Below are several articles that may be of interest to you. We hope you enjoy them.

Have a great day!

BENZO(A)PYRENE

What is BENZO(A)PYRENE?

Benzo(a)pyrene is part of a class of chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). PAHs usually occur as complex mixtures, not as single compounds. Benzo(a)pyrene is on the priority pollutant list published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Where can benzo(a)pyrene be found and how is it used?

Benzo(a)pyrene is found in nature from the eruption of volcanoes and forest fires. Yet this chemical

compound is also man-made. Benzo(a)pyrene can be found in surface water, tap water, rainwater,

groundwater, wastewater and sewage sludge. Man-made releases of benzo(a)pyrene are to the air, where sunlight turns the chemical into a dry form that falls to the ground and breaks down in the soil. This chemical results from burning plants, wood, coal, and operating cars, trucks and other vehicles. The major indoor sources of benzo(a)pyrene in the air are wood-burning fireplaces and stoves, and tobacco smoking. There is no known industry production or use of benzo(a)pyrene.

How can people be exposed to benzo(a)pyrene?

You could be exposed to benzo(a)pyrene through:

Breathing air containing benzo(a)pyrene in the workplace. This can occur if you work in coking, coal-tar and asphalt production plants, or in smokehouses or where local trash is burned. You can also breathe benzo(a)pyrene from cigarette smoke, wood smoke, vehicle exhaust, asphalt roads or smoke from burning farm plants.

Contact with benzo(a)pyrene in the air, water, or soil near a waste site, or another polluted site.

Eating grilled or charred meats. You can also be exposed through contaminated cereals, flour, bread,

vegetables, fruits, meats; and processed or pickled foods.

Drinking contaminated water or cow’s milk. Nursing infants may be exposed through breast milk, especially if the mother lives near a waste site containing benzo(a)pyrene.

How does benzo(a)pyrene work and how can it affect my health?

Short-term health effects can be a skin rash or eye irritation with redness and/or a burning sensation. Exposure to sunlight and the chemical together can increase these effects.

Long-term health effects can be deadly. Benzo[a]pyrene is a probable cancer-causing agent in humans. There is some evidence that it causes skin, lung, and bladder cancer in humans and in animals. If benzo(a)pyrene is on your skin when you are being exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet light, the risk of skin cancer is greater. Exposure to coal tar and pitch increases the likelihood of cancer. Repeated exposure to substances containing benzo[a]pyrene may cause the skin to thicken and darken, and for pimples to appear. Long-term skin changes include both loss of color and reddish areas, thinning of the skin and warts. Bronchitis may result from repeated exposure to mixtures containing benzo(a)pyrene.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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ATSDR: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Highlights

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons usually occurs by breathing air contaminated by wild fires or coal tar, or by eating foods that have been grilled. PAHs have been found in at least 600 of the 1,430 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

What are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)?

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of over 100 different chemicals that are formed during the incomplete burning of coal, oil and gas, garbage, or other organic substances like tobacco or charbroiled meat. PAHs are usually found as a mixture containing two or more of these compounds, such as soot.

Some PAHs are manufactured. These pure PAHs usually exist as colorless, white, or pale yellow-green solids. PAHs are found in coal tar, crude oil, creosote, and roofing tar, but a few are used in medicines or to make dyes, plastics, and pesticides.

What happens to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) when they enter the environment?

• PAHs enter the air mostly as releases from volcanoes, forest fires, burning coal, and automobile exhaust.
  
• PAHs can occur in air attached to dust particles.
• Some PAH particles can readily evaporate into the air from soil or surface waters.PAHs can break down by reacting with sunlight and other chemicals in the air, over a period of days to weeks.
• PAHs enter water through discharges from industrial and wastewater treatment plants.
• Most PAHs do not dissolve easily in water. They stick to solid particles and settle to the bottoms of lakes or rivers.
• Microorganisms can break down PAHs in soil or water after a period of weeks to months.
• In soils, PAHs are most likely to stick tightly to particles; certain PAHs  move through soil to contaminate underground water.
• PAH contents of plants and animals may be much higher than PAH contents of soil or water in which they live.

For more information, Click Here.

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ATSDR: Arsenic

Highlights

Exposure to higher than average levels of arsenic occur mostly inthe workplace, near hazardous waste sites, or in areas with high natural levels. At high levels, inorganic arsenic can cause death. Exposure to lower levels for a long time can cause a discoloration ofthe skin and the appearance of small corns or warts. Arsenic has been found in at least 1,149 of the 1,684 National Priority List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

What is arsenic?

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element widely distributed in the earth’s crust. In the environment, arsenic is combined with oxygen, chlorine, and sulfur to form inorganic arsenic compounds. Arsenic in animals and plants combines with carbon and hydrogen to form organic arsenic compounds.

Inorganic arsenic compounds are mainly used to preserve wood. Copper chromated arsenate (CCA) is used to make “pressure-treated” lumber. CCA is no longer used in the U.S. for residential uses; it is still used in industrial applications. Organic arsenic compounds are used as pesticides, primarily on cotton fields and orchards.

What happens to arsenic when it enters the environment?

• Arsenic occurs naturally in soil and minerals and may enter the air, water, and land from wind-blown dust and may get into water from run off andleaching.
  
• Arsenic cannot be destroyed in the environment. It can only change its form.
  
• Rain and snow remove arsenic dust particles from the air.
  
• Many common arsenic compounds can dissolve in water. Most of the arsenic in water will ultimately end up in soil or sediment.
• Fish and shellfish can accumulate arsenic; most of this arsenic isin an organic form called arsenobetaine that is much less harmful.

How likely is arsenic to cause cancer?

Several studies have shown that ingestion of inorganic arsenic canincrease the risk of skin cancer and cancer in the liver, bladder, and lungs. Inhalation of inorganic arsenic can cause increased risk of lung cancer. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the EPA have determined that inorganic arsenic is a known human carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that inorganic arsenic is carcinogenic to humans.

How does arsenic affect children?

There is some evidence that long-term exposure to arsenic in children may result in lower IQ scores. There is also some evidence that exposure to arsenic in the womb and early childhood may increase mortality in young adults.

There is some evidence that inhaled or ingested arsenic can injure pregnant women or their unborn babies, although the studies are not definitive. Studies in animals show that large doses of arsenic thatcause illness in pregnant females, can also cause low birth weight, fetal malformations, and even fetal death. Arsenic can cross the placenta and has been found in fetal tissues. Arsenic is found at low levels in breast milk.

For more information, Click Here.

Hi Everyone,

Welcome back! Please note, there will be no Blog postings next week (July 26-30). If there are any updates, they will be posted on the Forum. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Below are several articles that may be of interest to you. We hope you enjoy them.

Have a great day!

Childhood cancer and agricultural pesticide use: an ecologic study in California.

By: Reynolds P, Von Behren J, Gunier RB, Goldberg DE, Hertz A, Harnly ME.

March 11, 2002

Abstract

We analyzed population-based childhood cancer incidence rates throughout California in relation to agricultural pesticide use. During 1988-1994, a total of 7,143 cases of invasive cancer were diagnosed among children under 15 years of age in California. Building on the availability of high-quality population-based cancer incidence information from theCalifornia Cancer Registry, population data from the U.S. Census, and uniquely comprehensive agricultural pesticide use information from California's Department of Pesticide Regulation, we used a geographic information system to assign summary population, exposure, and outcome attributes at the block group level. We used Poisson regression to estimate rate ratios (RRs) by pesticide use density adjusted for race/ethnicity, age, and sex for all types of childhood cancer combined and separately for the leukemias and central nervous system cancers. We generally found no association between pesticide use density and childhood cancer incidence rates. The RR for all cancers was 0.95 [95%confidence interval (CI), 0.80-1.13] for block groups in the 90th percentile and above for use of pesticides classified as probablecarcinogens, compared to the block groups with use of < 1 lb/mi(2).The RRs were similar for leukemia and central nervous system cancers. Childhood leukemia rates were significantly elevated (RR = 1.48; 95%CI, 1.03-2.13) in block groups with the highest use of propargite, although we saw no dose-response trend with increasing exposure categories. Results were unchanged by further adjustment for socioeconomic status and urbanization.

For more information, Click Here.

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Childhood Cancer

United States Environmental Protection Agency

Cancer in childhood is quite rare compared with cancer in adults, but it still causes the most deaths, other than injuries and accidents, among children 0-19 years of age.47

Childhood cancer is not a single disease, as it includes a variety of malignancies. The forms of childhood cancer that are most common vary at different ages.

Cancer Incidence and Mortality

The incidence of childhood cancer increased from 1975 until about 1990. The frequency of the disease appears to have become fairly stable overall since 1990. Mortality has declined substantially during the last 25 years, due largely to improvements in treatment.

The causes of cancer in children are poorly understood, though in general it is thought that different forms of cancer have different causes. Established risk factors for the development of childhood cancer include family history, genetic defects, radiation, and certain pharmaceutical agents used in chemotherapy.47 Evidence from epidemiological studies suggests that environmental contaminants such as pesticides and certain chemicals, in addition to radiation, may contribute to an increased frequency of some childhood cancers.32 Some studies have found that children born to parents who work with or use such chemicals are more likely to have cancer in childhood.48 It may be that the chemicals cause mutations in parents' germ cells that may increase the risk of their children developing certain cancers, or perhaps the parental exposure is passed on to the child while in utero, affecting the child directly. Children's direct exposures to such chemicals also may contribute to cancer.

Childhood Cancer by Type

Trends in the total incidence of childhood cancer are useful indicators for assessing the overall burden of cancer among children. However, broad trends mask changes in frequency of individual cancers. Individual cancers often have patterns that diverge from the overall trend. Moreover, environmental factors may be more likely to contribute to some childhood cancers than to others.

Ionizing radiation, such as from x-rays, is a known cause of leukemia and brain tumors.49-50 There is suggestive-but not conclusive-evidence that parental exposures to certain chemicals may be a cause of leukemia, brain cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and Wilms' tumor in children.51

A number of studies have evaluated the relationship between pesticide exposure and certain types of childhood cancer, and while the evidence is suggestive of a link, it is still not conclusive.47 Most studies of the relationship between pesticide exposure and leukemia and brain cancer show increased risks for children whose parents used pesticides at home or work, and for children who may be exposed to pesticides in the home.52-53 Evidence is limited but suggestive that non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in children may be linked to parental pesticide exposure and exposure to pesticides in the home.52 There is some evidence linking pesticide use to Wilms' tumor and Ewing's sarcoma.52

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Radiation Environments and Exposure Considerations for the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator

By: Kelly, William M.; Low, Nora M.; Zillmer, Andrew; Johnson, Gregory A.; Normand, Eugene

SPACE TECH.& APPLIC.INT.FORUM-STAIF 2006: 10th Conf ThermophysApplic Microgravity; 23rd Symp Space Nucl Pwr & Propulsion; 4thConf Human/Robotic Tech & Nat'l Vision for Space Explor.; 4th SympSpace Coloniz.; 3rd Symp on New Frontiers & Future Concepts. AIPConference Proceedings, Volume 813, pp. 906-919 (2006).

The Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) is the next generation (RTG) being developed by DOE to provide reliable, long-life electric power for NASA's planetary exploration programs. The MMRTG is being developed by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and Teledyne Energy Systems Incorporated (TESI) for use on currently planned and projected flyby, orbital and planet landing missions. This is a significant departure from the design philosophy of the past which was to match specific mission requirements to RTG design capabilities.Undefined mission requirements provide a challenge to system designers by forcing them to put a design envelope around ``all possible missions''. These multi-mission requirements include internal and external radiation sources. Internal sources include the particles ejected by decaying Pu-238 and its daughters plus particles resulting from the interaction of these particles with other MMRTG materials.External sources include the full spectrum of charged particle radiation surrounding planets with magnetic fields and the surfaces of extraterrestrial objects not shielded by magnetic fields. The paper presents the results of investigations into the environments outlined above and the impact of radiation exposure on potential materials to be used on MMRTG and ground support personnel. Mission requirements were also reviewed to evaluate total integrated dose and to project potential shielding requirements for materials. Much of the information on mission shielding requirements was provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.The primary result is an ionizing radiation design curve which indicates the limits to which a particular mission can take the MMRTG in terms of ionizing radiation exposure. Estimates of personnel radiation exposure during ground handling are also provided.

For more information, Click Here.

Hi Everyone,

Welcome back. We hope you had a great weekend. Now, it is back to work.

Reminder: Tonight is the next Acreage Community Focus Group Meeting. The special guests will include the South Florida Water Management District and I.T.I.D. For more information, Click Here.

On Friday, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection began calling residents to inform them of their soil results. The actual reports should be released next week. We won't be able to comment on the actual results until we can see the report. We do not yet know exactly what the FDEP tested for. We will allow each resident to report their soil results on the forum, if they wish.

Below are several articles that may be of interest to you. We hope you enjoy them.

Have a great day!

For Acreage residents, a hidden history and fearsome future

By Charles Elmore

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

July 18, 2010

THE ACREAGE — The way residents like Michael Plunkett saw it, the road to The Acreage was unpaved with good intentions.

He could see one neighbor when he built his house in 1994. Today houses line both sides of his dirt road. Around him, the unincorporated Palm Beach County community has grown seven fold in 25 years to an estimated 39,000 people.

The Acreage seemed to offer a refreshing lack of history compared with much of paved-over South Florida: Back yard wells for water. Few stores or commercial signs. Room to build where a grocery king's plan to grow oranges for his stores ran out of juice in the 1960s.

Six months after the identification of a cancer cluster, history has come bubbling up again.

"I have an 8-year-old son," said Plunkett, a custom home designer and artist. "We're really concerned for him. Mentally, it's very stressful because we're praying there's nothing wrong with our water."

Testing has identified no obvious cause. Health officials caution it is possible none will ever be found.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Counley to county: Test every well

By KEVIN P. CRAVER

Northwest Herald

July 18, 2010

McCullom Lake Village President Terry Counley says the time for talkis over regarding whether the village is safe today from chemicals alleged to have caused a brain cancer cluster.

With a failed effort by McHenry County government to get theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago to investigate, Counley said the time had come for the county to do something it should have done years ago:Test every well in the town of 1,100 to ensure that they are free of industrial pollution.

Counley plans to ask for exactly that at a private meeting Tuesday with county officials.

He said the county’s present plan – holding a town-hall meeting wi UIC and the McHenry County Department of Health to talk about environmental health issues – is a waste of time.

“If they want to come out and have a town-hall meeting as to what causes cancer, we don’t need to hear that. We’ve heard all of that,” Counley said. “So aside from the county coming out here and literally testing every well, I don’t see the purpose in any more explanations.”

Thirty-one lawsuits since April 2006 allege that pollution from Ringwood manufacturers Rohm and Haas and Modine Manufacturing fouled area groundwater and air with vinyl chloride and other carcinogens. The lawsuits allege the pollution caused a cluster of brain and pituitary tumors in the village and the neighboring Lakeland Park subdivision in McHenry.

Annual well tests done by the county health department since the lawsuits show no trace of the chemicals. However, the department tests the same dozen or so wells each year, a fact that Counley said he hears often from his constituents.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH)

Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry

CAS ID #: Totalpetroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) is a term used to describe a large family of several hundred chemical compounds that originally come from crude oil. Crude oil is used to make petroleum products, which can contaminate the environment. Because there are so many different chemicals in crude oil and in other petroleum products, it is not practical to measure each one separately. However, it is useful to measure the total amount of TPH at a site.

TPH is a mixture of chemicals, but they are all made mainly from hydrogen and carbon, called hydrocarbons. Scientists divide TPH intogroups of petroleum hydrocarbons that act alike in soil or water. These groups are called petroleum hydrocarbon fractions. Each fraction contains many individual chemicals.

Some chemicals that may be found in TPH are hexane, jet fuels, mineral oils, benzene, toluene, xylenes, naphthalene, and fluorene, as well as other petroleum products and gasoline components. However, it is likely that samples of TPH will contain only some, or a mixture, ofthese chemicals.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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ATSDR TOXFAQ'S: ARSENIC

Highlights

Exposure to higher than average levels of arsenic occur mostly inthe workplace, near hazardous waste sites, or in areas with high natural levels. At high levels, inorganic arsenic can cause death.Exposure to lower levels for a long time can cause a discoloration of the skin and the appearance of small corns or warts. Arsenic has been found in at least 1,149 of the 1,684 National Priority List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

What is arsenic?

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element widely distributed in the earth’s crust. In the environment, arsenic is combined with oxygen,chlorine, and sulfur to form inorganic arsenic compounds. Arsenic inanimals and plants combines with carbon and hydrogen to form organicarsenic compounds.

Inorganic arsenic compounds are mainly used to preserve wood. Copperchromated arsenate (CCA) is used to make “pressure-treated” lumber. CCA is no longer used in the U.S. for residential uses; it is still used inindustrial applications. Organic arsenic compounds are used as pesticides, primarily on cotton fields and orchards.

For more information, Click Here.

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ATSDR TOXFAQ'S: BENZENE

Highlights

Benzene is a widely used chemical formed from both natural processes and human activities. Breathing benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, and unconsciousness; long-term benzene exposure causes effects on the bone marrow and can cause anemia and leukemia. Benzene has been found in at least 1,000 of the 1,684 National Priority Listsites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

What is benzene?

Benzene is a colorless liquid with a sweet odor. It evaporates into the air very quickly and dissolves slightly in water. It is highly flammable and is formed from both natural processes and human activities.

Benzene is widely used in the United States; it ranks in the top 20 chemicals for production volume. Some industries use benzene to make other chemicals which are used to make plastics, resins, and nylon and other synthetic fibers. Benzene is also used to make some types of rubbers, lubricants, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides. Natural sources of benzene include emissions from volcanoes and forest fires. Benzene is also a natural part of crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke.

For more information, Click Here.

Hi Everyone,

Well, it is finally Friday! Unfortunately, we still have no news. But, the day isn't over yet. Again, if any news arises, we will let you know via the following methods: email blast, blog update, twitter update, and forum update.

Below are several articles that may be of interest to you. We hope you enjoy them.

Have a great day!

A Port Clinton cancer cluster?

By Catharine Hadley

Port Clinton News Herald

July 15, 2010

PORT CLINTON -- Is it possible Port Clinton has its own cancer cluster?

A former resident will host a meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Our Guest Inn in hopes of answering that question.

Maria(Claus) Konoff, now a resident of Ottawa Hills, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer a week after she gave birth to her first child.

Years later, the 1985 graduate of Port Clinton High School learned the same thing had happened to one of her friends.

Last year, she learned about the Clyde cancer cluster -- an unusual concentration of cancer cases within a specific area. She talked to friends and used a social networking site to find out how many other people she knew also had been diagnosed with cancer.

The answer was "too many."

To view the full article, Click Here.

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State: Cancer rates average in Davisville
By Chris Church

North East Independent

July 16, 2010

NORTH KINGSTOWN — The Department of Health announced this week that it did not find any evidence of a cancer cluster in the Davisville section of town after a request from Rep.Kenneth Carter (D-Dist. 31) to investigate the issue.

“The essence is the population got older, ergo there is more cancer,” said Department of Health spokeswoman Helen Drew.

Dr.John Fulton of the Rhode Island Cancer Registry conducted the study last month by reviewing cancer diagnoses for residents in Davisville from 1987 through 2008. The registry has been documenting and tracking information on every person diagnosed with cancer in the state since 1986.

Fulton also used data from the 1990 and 2000 censuses to compute average annual age-adjusted cancer rates.

“The increase in newly diagnosed cancer cases in the Davisville community between 1987 and 2008 is consistent with (the) greater number of older people living in the community,” Fulton wrote. “When you adjust for the increase in age and calculate the number of cancers per 100,000 people, the actual rates of cancer (number of cases per 100,000 people) are no different from the rest of Rhode Island, and for women may be lower.”

To view the full article, Click Here.

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To view the full article, Click Here.

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No oil leaking as BP conducts tests in well

By the CNN Wire Staff

CNN.com

July 16, 2010

New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- For the first time in nearly three months, oil has stopped flowing into the Gulf of Mexico as BP proceeds with a highly anticipated test designed to measure pressure within its ruptured oil well.

The move is being lauded as a positive step, accompanied by a strong note of caution that the cutoff is simply part of the test, as BP and government experts assess how the well is holding up.

The test got under way Thursday after two days of delays, first as government scientists scrutinized testing procedures and then as BP replaced a leaking piece of equipment known as a choke line.

The oil stopped flowing early Thursday afternoon, according to BP Senior Vice President Kent Wells. And aseries of cameras below the surface clearly showed the halt -- a far different scene from the images day after day of a relentless flow.

To view the full article, Click Here.

Hi Everyone,

Apologies for not posting quite as much information on the Blog this week, but due to illness I've had to take a little break. Hopefully you understand.

Anyway, we are still anxiously awaiting the soil results. We have heard rumors that the results were to be released this week, but so far we have no news.

In addition, the next Acreage Community Focus Group meeting will be held this upcoming Monday evening. Please check out our Upcoming Events tab located on the right hand side of your screen.

Below are several articles that may be of interest to you. We hope you enjoy them.

Have a great day!

Retired pastor explores potential link between cancer, Fort Detrick pollution

Nearly 300 people attended meeting Saturday in Frederick to gather information on patients

By Katherine Heerbrandt

Gazette.net

July 15, 2010

A class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Army will likely happen within the next two months, according to a former pastor who has launched a media blitz to bring attention to a potential link between cancer and pollution at Fort Detrick in Frederick.

Retired pastor Randy White of Hawaii, a native of Frederick, sponsored a meeting at Morningside Inn in Mount Pleasant on Saturday for anyone who lived near Detrick and has cancer, or has someone in their family fighting cancer, drawing close to 300 people to hear more about his project, "Fighting for Frederick: Our City, Our Health."

The effort is a project of the Kristen Renee Foundation named after White's daughter, who died from brain cancer in 2008 at the age of 30. Kristen Renee White Hernandez, her sister Angie Pieper and their mother Debbie Cross lived near Detrick's "Area B" for nearly 10 years.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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UIC offers McCullom Lake help

By KEVIN P. CRAVER

Northwest Herald

July 13, 2010

A University of Illinois at Chicago instructor laid it out plainlyfor McHenry County officials Monday morning – their wish for a study concluding that McCullom Lake is safe today is an unreachable goal.

County government reached out to the college’s Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences in the hope of securing an all-clear for village residents, four years into a series of lawsuits blaming area brain cancer cases on industrial pollution.

But instructor Salvatore Cali told the County Board’s Public Health and Human Services Committee that it’s “impossible to guarantee safety in a pretty dirty world.”

“You have the unenviable task of proving that something is safe, which is very hard to do,” Cali said.

In a June 18 letter, Cali declined Board Chairman Ken Koehler’s request for a health hazard evaluation because the college has suspended such studies. But Cali offered his division’s assistance to help educate the public about environmental contamination issues.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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CTS letter prompts EPA inquiry into neighboring businesses

By David Forbes

Mountain Express

July 13, 2010

South Buncombe resident David Bradley, 61, has dealt with health problems, watched his home-based insulation business stall amid a down economy, and seen his family’s well water contaminated. He’s also shared his neighbors’ frustration over the slow pace of government action to clean up the contamination linked to the nearby former CTS of Asheville plant (which closed in 1986). And now, in response to a request by the Elkhart, Ind.-based electronic-components manufacturer, Bradley has the Environmental Protection Agency demanding information about his business and threatening stiff fines.

“The United States Environmental Protection Agency is currentlyinvestigating the release or threatened release of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants, or hazardous wastes on or about the above-referenced Sites,” a June 25 letter to Bradley and his company states. “Compliance with the Information Request is mandatory. Failure to respond fully and truthfully to the Information Request within thirty (30) days of receipt of this letter, or to adequately justify such failure to respond, can result in an enforcement action b yEPA.”

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Residents, environmentalists take on steel millYears of frustration with Sparrows Point pollution come to a head in lawsuit

By Meredith Cohn and Timothy Wheeler

The Baltimore Sun

July 10, 2010

Thirteenyears after a federal court ordered steelmakers in Sparrows Point to clean up the toxic brew surrounding the peninsula just east of Baltimore City, those who live with the air and water pollution say little has been done.

They suffer with gritty fallout on their boats, fumes that sting their throats, and fears that swimming,crabbing or fishing near their homes will make them sick.

State and federal officials have cited the steel mill owners 22 times since the court decree, and fined it nearly $700,000. Now a handful of frustrated residents have joined the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper to sue Severstal North America, the latest company to run the century-old steel mill, and its previous owner, ArcelorMittal USA.

The suit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, comes 14 months after the plaintiffs formally warned the companies of their intent to take legal action to halt pollution from the 2,300-acre property that they contend threatens their health and the health of the Chesapeake Bay tributaries. Though some cleanup activity began recently, residents say it's not enough.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Family blames toxic site for illnessCleanup set for east-side metals plant

By Dan Stockman

Journalgazette.net

July 11, 2010

FORT WAYNE – Kathryn Mbwelera stands in her front yard, despite the blazing heat, pointing across the street to where the ground is filled with poison.

“Nobody’s going to make me believe I’m not at risk and that I haven’t been at risk,” Mbwelera says. “The health risks these chemicals pose – we’ve experienced them all.”

The chemicals are chlorinated solvents that are in the soil and groundwater beneath the former Wayne Metal Protection plant, a defunct metal plating company at 1511 Wabash Ave. on the east side of the city near Memorial Park.

The contamination has spread northeast from the shuttered plant, toward Memorial Park Middle School; Mbwelera’s house is immediately north of the plant.

The chemicals move easily in groundwater, and their vapors can move upward through soil into homes and buildings.

To view the full article, Click Here.

Hi Everyone,

We apologize for not posting a Blog entry yesterday; hopefully no one missed it. There will not be a major Blog post today, but we are hoping that there will be more news regarding the soil tests by the end of this week. Again, once we have information to share with you all, we will post it right here.

The only information we will be posting today is a link to the Palm Beach County Health Department website where you can read a letter from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. To read the letter, Click Here.

Don't forget about the upcoming Acreage Community Focus Group meeting on July 19th. This meeting may prove to be quite informative. For more information, Click Here.

In the interim, please feel free to visit the Forums for updated information and opinions.

Have a great day!

Hi Everyone,

Welcome back. We hope you had a great weekend.

Below are several articles that may be of interest to you. We hope you enjoy them.

Have a great day!

Family Concerned With High Cancer Numbers Near Military Base
By Roz Plater

Fox 5 News

July 12, 2010

A family who used to live less than a mile from the Fort Detrick Army Base has launched the "Fighting for Frederick" campaign after one daughter died from brain cancer.

Another one of their children has had benign tumors the past two years and the mother is battling kidney cancer.

The family started the "Kristen Renee Foundation" named for the daughter who died.

They are conducting a survey of hundreds of Frederick residents to tally the number of families living near the base who have been touched by cancer.

The foundation is also having scientists test the soil and water.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Pesticide found in more private wells; Miami-Dade County to speed up extension of public water

By Melissa Montoya and Paradise Afshar

Miami Herald

July 11, 2010

Traces of a potentially dangerous pesticide have been found in the private wells in at least 15 more South Miami-Dade homes. That brings the total to more than 50 since May.

The county's public water system remains unaffected, but at least 20,000 Miami-Dade homes still rely on private wells.

And officials don't know where all the wells are, nor exactly where the pesticide, called dieldrin, was used in Miami-Dade's agricultural past.

On the other hand, experts interviewed said the small amounts of dieldrin found probably don't pose a threat.

And Miami-Dade officials say they are planning to take inventory of private wells in the county so they can be better prepared for future incidents.

``It is important to determine exactly how many properties are utilizing wells for potable water and exactly where they are,'' said Carlos Espinosa, director of Miami-Dade's Department of Environmental Resources Management. ``That's valuable information in relation to future contamination issues.''

In the last couple of weeks, the Miami-Dade Health Department has found small amounts of dieldrin in 15 homes in the Continental Park neighborhood, around Southwest 100th Street, east of Galloway Road.

Those are in addition to 37 in the Falls area, about 30 blocks south, that received the same news in May.

The county is still waiting for results for 41 homes.

Dieldrin was used on farms until 1974, when it was banned in agriculture. It remained in use for termite infestations until 1987.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Thousands of Oil and Gas Spills Add Up to Major Impacts for Colorado
By Steve Torbit

Huffington Post

July 2, 2010

Less than two years ago, the biggest drilling boom in Colorado history, like so many western energy booms over the past century, suddenly went bust.

Years of over-drilling led to plummeting natural gas prices on the world market and an historic amount of natural gas in storage. Coupled with the imploding economy, drilling became less profitable in Colorado and across the West by mid-November 2008.

In the following four months, those factors forced companies to cut their drilling operations. The rig fleet in Colorado was cut by almost 66 percent.

Despite the large-scale down turn in drilling, the lingering and cumulative environmental impacts from onshore oil and gas development continue to dramatically accumulate.

In the wake of the Gulf oil spill, The Denver Post recently published an analysis of self-reported data from the oil and gas industry that uncovered 981 oil and gas spills in the state just since the beginning of 2008. Collectively, those spills have released more than 5.2 million gallons of drilling liquids - with untold gallons spilling into waters that both people and wildlife depend on.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Companies report nearly 1,000 spills in Colo.

By BURT HUBBARD

The Denver Post

June 28, 2010

DENVER—Oil and gas companies have reported almost 1,000 spills to Colorado regulators over the past 2 1/2 years, totaling 5.2 million gallons of drilling liquids and oil. They ranged from small oil leaks from half-closed valves to thousands of barrels of tainted water that escaped from pits.

It's far from the volume of oil now shooting into the Gulf of Mexico, but a Denver Post analysis of state spill reports shows that even far from offshore, drilling for oil can regularly create unintended messes:

—Produced water extracted along with natural gas and frac water used inthe drilling process were the most common substances spilled. They accounted for nearly half of the spills, 461, and about 85 percent of the amount

— One hundred eighty-two spills got into groundwater and 82 into surface water. Another 10 reached groundwater and surfacewater. Most of the groundwater impacts were in Weld County, many of them from historic spills discovered when replacing or moving well equipment.

— Weld County and its 15,000 oil wells had the most overall spills, with 365—more than one in every three spills in the state. However, Garfield County had the most material spilled, 66,38 barrels, mostly drilling liquids and water used in natural-gas exploration.

— The spills have led to only two fines so far, both for 2008 spills by the same company that fouled springs on the Western Slope. The fines totaled nearly $650,000.

Environmental groups said they are worried about the cumulative effect of so many spills.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Lead levels in New Orleans soil dropped after Katrina and Rita flooding, study finds
By Aimeee Miles

NOLA.com

July 12, 2010

Soil lead levels in New Orleans declined significantly after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, precipitating a correlated reduction inchildren’s blood lead levels, according to a study published recently in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

The study, a collaboration between researchers from Colorado State University and Tulane University, was based on soil data collected from 46 different census tracts throughout the New Orleans metropolitan area, once in 2000 and again in2006; and on blood lead level data furnished by the Louisiana Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program for children age 6 or younger.

Researchers found that levels of lead contamination in the soil dropped by 46 percent on average after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the surveyed areas, and that the parts of the city hardest hit by flooding experienced a more dramatic drop in lead levels than areas that weren’t as severely inundated.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Analysis Triples U.S. Plutonium Waste Figures

By Matthew L. Wald

The New York Times

July 11, 2010

WASHINGTON — The amount of plutonium buried at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state is nearly three times what the federal government previously reported, a new analysis indicates, suggesting that a cleanup will be far more challenging than planners had assumed.

Plutonium waste is more prevalent around nuclear-weapon sites nationwide than the Energy Department indicates, said Robert Alvarez, a former department official who in recent months reanalyzed department studies conducted during the past 15 years for Hanford; the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory; the Savannah River Site, near Aiken, S.C.; and elsewhere.

The problem is most severe at Hanford, a 560-square-mile tract in south-central Washington used for the Manhattan Project. By the time production stopped in the ’80s, it had made most of the nation’s plutonium.

To view the full article, Click Here.

Hi Everyone,

Happy Friday! Yesterday we posted some information on formaldehyde. Through our research, we learned that about 40% of methanol is converted to formaldehyde. Therefore, today we have posted some information on methanol. According to a report released in 1999, methanol "ranked third amongst all chemicals reportedly released by industry to the environment." Although the primarily release of this toxin is into the atmosphere, "20% of methanol is directly discharged into the soil, groundwater, or surface water." To read this report, Click Here.

There is an overwhelming amount of information out there, therefore, we are simply going to provide you with some links so that you can read up on these topics yourself.

EPA's Methanol Fact Sheet

IRIS Toxicological Review of Methanol

Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry

ToxFAQs for Formaldehyde

EPA: Formaldehyde can cause cancer

Scorecard: Formaldehyde

Below are several articles that may be of interest to you. We hope you enjoy them.

Have a great day!

Family fears Fort Detrick Area B gave them cancer

By Megan Eckstein

The Frederick News

July 8, 2010

Former Frederick residents are gearing up fora town hall meeting Saturday to discuss the possibility that Fort Detrick caused three cases of cancer in their family.

Randy White is spear heading the event, the first in his Fighting for Frederick project, after one of his daughters died of a brain tumor two years ago at the age of 30. His other daughter had three stomach tumors removed, and his ex-wife was diagnosed with stage four renal cell carcinoma about three months ago.

"At that point, the doctors of (H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center andResearch Institute) told us that this was not genetic by any means," White said. "When they told me it was environmental, I immediately put all of my efforts into finding out what happened, why it happened, etc. Which brought me back to Frederick , where they grew up."

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Video Suggests BP Literally Covering Up Oil Damage on Louisiana Beaches

By Ariel Schwartz

July 1, 2010

here's no question that BP has lied extensively over the past few months about the growing Gulf oil disaster. The company has bullied journalists, fudged numbers, and even deployedfake journalists to the Gulf to write about how everything is fine. NowBP may be literally trying to cover up oiled beaches by dumping sand on top of them.

The video below, filmed by Judson Parker of Save Our Shores Florida, purportedly shows oil sandwiched between two layers of different types of sand. According to Parker, local deputies confirmed that BP dumpeds and onto the Grand Isle, Louisiana beach and attempted to smooth itover. But Wayne Keller, the Executive Director of the Grand Isle Port Commission, doesn't know anything about it. "I'm not aware of that being done anywhere on Grand Isle," he tells FastCompany.com. I know we're trucking in sand to build berms to keep oil out of the estuary, but that's it."

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Oil spill cleanup waste might be heading to local landfills in Mississippi

By Karen Nelson

July 2, 2010

BILOXI, Miss. - Local leaders on Mississippi's coast are afraid thatsome of the waste generated by the oil spill cleanup will go to nearby landfills - after they asked BP and state environmental regulators not to put it there.

Bags and bags of tar balls, gooey oil, oiledboom and workers' oil-stained clothing are waiting in large containers at sites along the coast for a decision by BP on where to dump them.

BP has a contract with Waste Management for two landfills in Mississippi -Pecan Grove near Pass Christian and Central Landfill in Pearl RiverCounty - but it can take the oil waste there only if the material is deemed non-hazardous.

If the state Department of Environmental Quality finds the material unsuitable, that could stop it from going to the landfills. However, that's not likely.

To view the full article, Click Here.

Hi Everyone,

The soil results should be released within the next month. As we wait, we continue to conduct research on what could be a potential threat to residents of The Acreage.

To help make our research somewhat easier, we decided to do more research on some of the contaminants that were already found at the Pratt & Whitney facility. Today, we are going to focus on formaldehyde (systematic name: methanol).

According to a letter dated November 6, 1998 from the University of Florida's Center for Environmental & Human Toxicology to the Bureau of Solid and Hazardous Waste, the UTC/P&W  facility just north of The Acreage had high levels of formaldehyde (7000 ug/L) in the groundwater. According to the letter, "It should be noted that the Florida guidance criteria is 600 ug/L, based on an organoleptic threshold, and that groundwater with 7000 ppb formaldehyde is unsuitable for potable use." To read the letter, Click Here.

According to the National Cancer Institute,  formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling chemical that is used in building materials and household products. It is a human carcinogen that is known to cause an "increased risk of leukemia and brain cancer."

According to Wikipedia, about "40% of methanol is converted to formaldehyde, and from there into products as diverse as plastics, paints, explosives, and permanent press textiles."

Methanol is highly toxic to humans and can enter the human body by ingestion, inhalation, or absorption through the skin.

As was mentioned above, formaldehyde has been found at the Pratt & Whitney facility. The letter sent by the University of Florida to the FDEP clearly stated that this chemical was not only found at the property, but was not suitable for potable use.

As you know, The Acreage has been declared a pediatric cancer cluster based on the higher than expected rate of children with brain tumors/cancer living within this community.

We were curious as to whether formaldehyde or methanol was found by the DEP in any of the 50 wells that were tested. We checked the October 1st report and couldn't find that this chemical of concern was ever even tested for. To view the report, Click Here.

We challenge you to look over this report and if you find formaldehyde or methanol, please post a comment on this board so that we too can locate this toxic chemical in the report.

Shockingly, this is a chemcial that was previously detected at high levels on the P&W property (as recently as 1998) and the DEP did not check for it. This is concerning. Here we have a chemical that is known to cause the very type of cancer we have in this community, it was already detected, but went unchecked again during this epidemiology study.

Where do we go from here?

Please check the Forum to read and share your opinions.

Below are some links to various articles discussing formaldehyde.

Have a great day!

National Toxicology Program, Department of Human Health

Formaldehyde Article

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

Public Health Statement for Formaldehyde

Australian Government, Department of the Environmental, Water, Heritage and the Arts

Formaldehyde (methyl aldehyde): Environmental Effects

National Cancer Institute

Formaldehyde and Cancer Risk

Hi Everyone,

Below are several articles that may be of interest to you. We hope you enjoy them.

Have a great day!

Some cancer with your nuke energy?
By Andreas Spath

News24

July 7, 2010

Is it healthy to live near a nuclear power plant (NPP)? Is there an increased risk of contracting cancer, particularly for babies and young children in their formative years?

These are important, controversial and highly contested questions which have been the subject of intense public and scientific debate in Europe and North America for years.

Cancer clusters

In the late 1980s and early 1990s several studies reported a statistically raised incidence of childhood leukaemia, a cancer of the bone marrow or blood, within a ten mile radius of some English and Welsh atomic facilities.

Similar cancer clusters were also identified around some nuclear sites in the USA and France, but a number of contradictory studies from France, Israel, Great Britain, Finland, the USA, Spain and elsewhere could find no evidence for a correlation between the risk of contracting cancer and one’s proximity to a NPP.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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This is a re-post

Mother Understands Cancer Cluster Worries

Offers Advice For Acreage Families

WPBF.com

August 28, 2009

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Dylan Picariello, 13, knows how to battle brain cancer. Diagnosed at 3, he's lived far longer than the doctors ever predicted. And while chemotherapy and radiation left him paralyzed and on a respirator, Dylan lives every moment enjoying his new teenager status.

"I like doing crafts," said Picariello.

Picariello's mother, Sharon, and other parents of children with cancer, have long suspected a cancer cluster. And while no evidence of one was ever proven, Sharon Picariello thinks the community needs to be more demanding about what's in our environment.

She has been watching the anguish in the Acreage in Palm Beach County as families wait for the outcome of a cancer investigation.

"I cried. I cried. I feel so sad for those families and the community. That was the worst day in my life when the doctor said to me your doctor has a brain tumor. They have got a rough road ahead of them," said Picariello.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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The Nuke Next Door

Do Cancers Cluster Around Atomic Plants?

By Trish Riley

Currents

Raisedon fresh fruits and vegetables by his vegetarian mother, Ty-Michael Schmidt never even had a cold or ear infection before the age of five.Then doctors found a tumor in his abdomen. His mother, and some scientists, suspect the tumor has something to do with the fact that helives near a nuclear power plant.

“I never knew a child with cancer until my son,” says Audra Schmidt of Hobe Sound,Florida. “Now I know nothing but kids with cancer. At least 50 kids in our local area have it.”

But there’s not a cancer cluster in the neighborhood, according to the St.Lucie County, Florida Health Department, which conducted an in-depth study of the homes of 28 children with cancer. During the same period, another 12 cases were identified in near-by Martin County. Tests were conducted on water, soil, air and dust for 561 different chemicals and potential contaminants. The results were negative for all chemicals tested.

“We have yet to find any commonality,” says James Moses, director of environmental health for St. Lucie County. “We are dealing with 30 cases from 1981 to 1997. There was no cancer cluster.”

The study continues, though, because it did find a marked increase in childhood cancers of the brain and central nervous system: 15 diagnosed in three years, nine within a seven-month period. The report notes thatthe trend should be monitored and perhaps studied further.

Health officials did not test for Strontium 90 (Sr-90), a radioactive carcinogenic byproduct of nuclear fission. The Radiation and Public Health Project (RPHP), a nonprofit research center in New York City, recently released a study linking increased incidence of childhood cancers to areas near nuclear power plants. The study was published in the peer-reviewed Archives of Environmental Health last year.

“Of the 14 areas studied, the two counties closest to the reactors in St.Lucie County had the highest cancer rates,” says principal researcher Joseph Mangano, national coordinator of the RPHP. Mangano says the Florida State Cancer Registry lists four cases in St. Lucie County for children under 10 from 1981 to 1983, but this increased to 30 cases from 1996 to 1998. Accounting for a near doubling of population, the incidence still represents a 40 percent increase, compared to an average national increase of 11 percent in childhood cancers.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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This is a re-post

New study to assess whether there is higher cancer risk for residents near nuclear plants
By Jennifer Sergent

Scripps Howard News Service

TCPalm.com

April 26, 2010

WASHINGTON — The National Academy of Sciences is organizing a study to begin this summer that will examine cancer risk in populations living near nuclear facilities, such as Florida Power & Light Co.’s St. Lucie power plant on South Hutchinson Island.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission formally requested the study Monday at a meeting of the academy’s Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board, acknowledging that a previous study done 20 years ago was flawed.

Families of 30 local children who were diagnosed with rare brain cancers in the ’80s and ’90s were always referred back to the 1990 study performed by the National Cancer Institute, which concluded there was no link between the cancers and nuclear plant emissions.

The 1990 study only considered children who died from cancer nearnuclear plants, instead of the higher numbers of children to contractedthe disease but didn’t die. It also assessed populations by county, and not groups of people living closest to the reactors.

Advances in technology will help generate a more accurate assessmentof whether there truly is a link between nuclear power plants and cancer in children who live nearby, said Scott Burnell, spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Peer-Reviewed Science on Radiation Health Effects Dispels ‘Tooth Fairy Project’
Nuclear Energy Institute

What Is Strontium-90?

Strontium-90 isproduced only by atomic bombs, nuclear submarines and nuclear reactors. It is a good element to study because it has a long half-life, 28.7 years, and is easy to test.

Strontium-90 is chemically similar to calcium, following calcium through the food chain and appearing in human bone and teeth. Thus, strontium-90 found in baby teeth (known as the "tooth fairy project") has been transported through the milk of dairy cattle that have eaten vegetation containing the material. Strontium-90 is found only in baby teeth because the adult body rejects the material in favor of calcium.

Like all radioactive materials, strontium-90 can be measured precisely at extremely low levels. The U.S. Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies have monitored strontium-90 levels since the early 1950s. Radiation safety programs at nuclear power plants monitor and analyze air and water releases—including specific analysis for strontium-90—using state-of-the-art sampling techniques and laboratory analysis. These monitoring programs—which are subject to strict oversight by the NRC and states—provide the government with accurate information that is published on a regular basis and available to the public.

Those involved with the “tooth fairy project” claimed they found highlevels of strontium-90 in baby teeth near the Turkey Point and St.Lucie plants in Florida. However, the Florida Department of Health monitors radiation levels at locations around the state’s nuclear plants and has found no emissions that would harm the citizens of Florida.

In 2001, the American Cancer Society concluded that although reports about cancer case “clusters” in some communities have raised public concern, studies have shown that clusters do not occur more often near nuclear plants than they do by chance elsewhere in the population. Likewise, there is no new evidence that links strontium-90 with increases in breast cancer, prostate cancer or childhood cancer rates.

“Ionizing radiation emissions from nuclear facilities are closely controlled and involve negligible levels of exposure for communities near such plants,” the American Cancer Society said.

To view the full article, Click Here.

Hi Everyone,

Welcome back! We hope you had a great holiday weekend. Now, it is back to business as usual.

Below are several articles that may be of interest to you. We hope you enjoy them.

Have a great day!

Cancer cluster or not, the reality is plain awful 

By Logan Jenkins

The San Diego Union-Tribune

July 4, 2010

Three years ago, my sister died in a cancer cluster.

Or so she and her fellow teachers believed like an article of faith.

As it almost invariably does, the California Cancer Registry debunked the plague that gave my sister’s terminal illness meaning beyond herself.

If she died from something evil in the ground, air or water, my sister would be transformed into an innocent canary in a coal mine, not a loser in a lottery of random chance. Her long illness, if dramatic environmental causes could be found, could save others from the same fate.

As in the vast majority of reported clusters — and there are hundreds, if not thousands, every year — state epidemiologists concluded that statistical chance caused the appearance of a cancer cluster at La Quinta Middle School.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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N.J. could soon add up to 25 more 'Superfund' sites

AP/Brian T. Murray

The Record

June 27, 2010

TRENTON  — Already home to the largest number of Superfund toxic-waste sites in the nation, New Jersey expects to add 15 to 25 more properties to the National Priorities List in the next five years, state and federal authorities said.

And while adding to the list means the state is eligible for more federal cleanup money, it also means New Jersey has yet to see the end of its terrible legacy of contamination, one that in some instances dates back a century.

"We are still discovering cases we believe are going to involve multi million-dollar remediation costs," said Ed Putnam, head of the Publicly Funded Remediation Program for the state Department of Environmental Protection. "If you need substantial remediation funding, in order to get it from the Superfund, you need to be on the National Priority List."

"Superfund" is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, a federal law designed to cleanup sites contaminated with hazardous substances that threaten public health. Polluters are held liable under the law for cleanup costs, but a special trust fund was created for situations where the responsible parties could not be found, no longer existed or didn't have enough money.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Gulf 'toxic bomb'

Arsenic threatens food supply

By ANDY SOLTIS

Post Wire Services

July 6, 2010

And now -- arsenic.

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is increasing the level of arsenic in the water, and the poison could reach humans as fish consume it and pass it up the food chain, British scientists reported yesterday.

Arsenic is often found in seawater, but is usually filtered out when it bonds with the seabed, they said.

"But oil spills stop the normal process because the oil combines with sediment and it leads to an accumulation of arsenic in the water overtime," said Professor Mark Sephton of Imperial College.

He said there was no way to accurately measure the amount of arsen the Gulf now because the underwater leak from the April 20 oil-rig explosion is still going on.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Heavy Surf, High Winds Affect Cleanup as Weather Continues to Strike Gulf

By Ray Suarez

PBS

July 5, 2010

There was no holiday in the battle with that blown oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, but weather again hindered cleanup efforts, as the oil fouled the Fourth of July weekend and as tar balls washed up on beaches in Texas for the first time.

Out on the water, the problem through the weekend and again today was heavy surf and high winds. Rough conditions have kept many skimmer boats from working along the coasts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. The weather also interfered with testing a so-called super-skimmer ship dubbed the A Whale. At 1,100 feet long, the converted tanker can handle 21 million gallons of contaminated water each day.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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BP plans to get rid of safety watchdog, sources say

By Drew Griffin and David Fitzpatrick

CNN Special Investigations Unit

July 1, 2010

Washington (CNN) -- BP has been trying to shut down an internal safety watchdog agency it set up under congressional pressurefour years ago, according to sources close to the office and a leading congressman.

The Ombudsman Program was set up after a 2005 explosion at a BP refinery in Texas that killed 15 workers and a massive oil spill in Alaska the following year. Its chief, former federal judge Stanley Sporkin, would not comment for this story -- but a source inside his office told CNN, "I'm surprised we're still here."

The Washington-based office was set up to hear BP workers' safety concerns after investigations into the Texas City refinery explosion raised questions about whether employees feared retaliation for speaking up. Since then, 112 employees have filed complaints, and 35 of them have dealt with "system integrity or safety issues" that the office says are extremely serious.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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BP eyes stake sale as "superskimmer" snagged

By Raji Menon and Matthew Bigg

Reuters

July 5, 2010

As containment efforts continued in the devastated Gulf of Mexico, where a ruptured well has been spewing crude since April 20, tests on a supertanker adapted to skim large quantities of oily water from the surface were inconclusive because of high seas, ship owner TMT Shipping Offshore said.

Over the weekend, while U.S. Independence Day vacationers largely avoided Gulf of Mexico beaches tarred by the leaking well, media reports said BP was looking for a strategic investor among the sovereign wealth funds of the Middle East and Asia.

Such an investo rwould help ward off a takeover and raise funds for the liabilities generated by the worst oil spill in U.S. history, the reports said. The spill has been politically disastrous for BP, pitting it against the Obama administration, Gulf communities and a seething American public.

To view the full article, Click Here.

Hi All,

June is over and we have now moved into July. Please note that due to the upcoming holiday weekend, there will be no Blog posts on Friday (July 2nd) or Monday (July 5th). The Blogging will resume on Tuesday, July 6th. If any new information arises, we will post that information here on the Blog and also in the Forum.

Below are several articles that may be of interest to you. We hope you enjoy them.

Have a great day!

Carlsbad Cancer Numbers Released

By Tony Shin

NBCSanDiego.com

June 30, 2010

State health officials investigating cancer cluster concerns in Carlsbad found that while the overall cancer rate is not unusually high for the city, there is one statistic that troubles them.

A community forum at the Carlsbad Sheraton was held Monday to discuss the findings.

The meeting began with a passionate plea from Carlsbad resident Stacey Quartarone.

"I am furious, these are our children that are dying," Quartarone told the crowd of approximately 300.

She and her husband John lost their 16-year old son Chase to lymphoma last December.

Chase was a student at Carlsbad High School and before that a student at Kelly Elementary.

"The soil needs to be tested, the air needs to be tested, the water needs to be tested," Quartarone told state and county health officials who were part of a panel of experts.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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School Leader Explains Delay In Soil Testing
By Tony Shin

NBCSanDiego.com

June 30, 2010

At Monday night's cancer forum in Carlsbad, several parents and residents lashed out at superintendent John Roach, E.d.D.

"Dr. Roach, you have to step in," said Stacey Quartarone who's 16 year old son Chase, died of lymphoma last December.

Quartarone and some other residents believe Dr. Roach has been trying to avoid soil testing because it could end up costing a lot of money.

"If dollar signs are what is motivating you, then have you considered the loss to the city including tourism dollars, home values and education dollars from parents pulling their children out of Carlsbad schools because of their fear," said Carlsbad resident Jennifer Carlos.

But in an interview on Tuesday with NBCSanDiego, Dr. Roach explained that he needed to hear the findings of the cancer cluster investigation before moving forward on any possible testing.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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EPA releases 5 year plan for ground water contamination
KNDU-TV

July 1, 2010

Zillah, Wash.- Lower Valley families with contaminated water will soon get relief. Employees from the Environmental Protection Agency are working to eliminate contamination and help families buy clean water.  

Sandra Simmons and her daughters hurry to the groundwater meeting. They are one of many with a contaminated private well.

"You just stop drinking it and you spend a lot of money on bottled water and you have a lot of jugs to recycle and frankly, it's a pain," said Sandra Simmons, who has contaminated water.

It is also a health risk. Contaminated water from chemicals or bacteria can affect anyone who drinks it. Employees from the Environmental Protection Agency say too many people are at risk.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Group concerned about deep well fracking on DuBois watershed land
Courier Express

June 30, 2010

DuBOIS - A local group is concerned about deep well fracking on the City of DuBois' watershed.

Falls Creek resident Dave McKolanis spoke to the city council Monday about the group's concerns.

"I own two properties in the City of DuBois and am part of a local group very concerned about the serious hazards involved with the deepwell fracking process for gas currently before the city council," he said. "Our goal is to, not only inform the general public about the dangers involved with frack drilling, but to get as many community water authority personnel together as a unified group to put a moratorium on frack drilling until exceedingly better health and safety issues are strictly monitored and enforced upon the extraction process."

McKolanis said this is similar to the imported garbage issue about a dozen years ago.

"There were substantial health and safety issues that were over looked in a mad push to dump big city garbage just up the road from here for decades," he said. "Fortunately that attempt by large corporate interests was stopped."

McKolanis said the city is facing even larger "completely unregulated interests wanting, not to bury hazardous material, but do just the opposite; to bring extremely hazardous contaminants up out of the ground and ruin our water, air and soil permanently."

To view the full article, Click Here.

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TOXIC SITES FOUND Experts want College Point tested

BY VICTOR G. MIMONI

June 30, 2010

Now that the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation(DEC) has acknowledged that residential units in College Point have been – and continue to be – built on a contaminated landfill, concerned local residents want more active inspections and clean-up of the area.

After years of study, a 10,000-square-foot “hot spot” in the midst of Riverview Homes, 121st Street, north of 5th Avenue, was declared a “Superfund” site by DEP in April – because Polychlorinated Biphenyls(PCBs)-contaminated oil was found in the soil in 2007.

The area is called “College Point 3” in DEC reports, and is bounded by Riviera Court to the north, Capstan Court to the east, Cove Court to the south, and College Point Properties’ Soundview Pointe development to the west.

“For years, the property owners turned a blind eye and allowed trucks to dump anything – rubble from gas stations, drums from factories. It was before the Clean Air Act and that section was basically one big junkyard.”

To view the full article, Click Here.

Hi Everyone,

Many of you have inquired as to how cancer is tracked within the State of Florida. Well, the short and sweet answer is that cancer is tracked through a reporting process and logged into a registry. This registry is called the Florida Cancer Data System. According to the FCDS website, this data is collected so that they can inform health professionals and educate citizens regarding specific cancer risks, monitor the occurrence of cancer, and more.

This reasoning sounds great, however as we have learned in The Acreage, the State doesn't actively  monitor the occurrence of cancer. In fact, we aren't sure if anyone even monitors this data because if they did, the State would have realized The Acreage had a cancer cluster well before any personal epidemiology requests. In fact, the State requires that a resident request an epidemiology study if they suspect a higher than normal rate of cancer within their community. Nothing is done proactively by the State to actually monitor cancer rates. Therefore, why does the State spend money on the Florida Cancer Data System only to let that data sit unused? Why do they require a lone citizen to capture cancer data on their own in order to even determine if they will initiate an epidemiology study? There is something wrong with this system.

Below is a copy of the letter Jennifer Dunsford received from Dr. Watkins is response to her inquiry about a possible increase of cancer in The Acreage:

As you can see, Jennifer was told by the FDOH that she was required to distribute, collect, and submit the Cancer Patient Information Forms to "those individuals with cancer" in her community. Many people didn't understand why we were doing this, why this website is here, or why the State didn't do this themselves. Well, hopefully this letter helps clear any confusion.

Jennifer did what she had to do in order to even find out if there was a problem. Now that we know there is in fact a higher than normal rate of pediatric cancer within The Acreage, it is time to rule out any and all environmental causes.

That's all for today.

Have a great day!