The Acreage Cancer Study

Hi Everyone,

We hope you had a great weekend. As a reminder, tomorrow is the meeting with the Health Officials at 6:30 p.m. Please check our Upcoming Events tab for more information - and a map to Seminole Ridge High School.

Below are some articles of interest for you to review. We hope you enjoy them.

Have a great Monday.

More tests coming in Fla. town with cancer cluster

Posted on Sunday, 02.07.10

The Associated Press THE ACREAGE, Fla. -- Florida officials will conduct more extensive tests in a Palm Beach town stricken by a cluster of childhood cancer.

Familiesin The Acreage, a town about 20 miles from West Palm Beach, had beentrying for months to convince the state to take more action. Healthofficials have confirmed the area has higher than normal rates of braintumors and cancer among children.

The state health department said Friday it would test water and soil in the area.

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Looking for answers in The Acreage by Opinion Staff

Posted on Monday, 2.08.10

Palm Beach County Health Director Alina Alonso will meet withresidents of The Acreage tomorrow night to explain how officialsconcluded that a cancer cluster exists in their community and whathappens next. She also should explain what looks like a flip flop bystate officials on whether they will seek an answer to the higher thannormal cases of brain and central nervous system tumors and cancer inAcreage children - 13 between 1993 and 2008 - especially among girls.And she should tell residents that despite the involvement of New Yorkattorneys who have conducted environmental tests and famedenvironmental activist Erin Brokovich, they may never know the answer.

Dr. Alonso initially stated that since health officials would beunlikely to identify a cause, “searching blindly” didn’t make sense andthere would be no environmental tests. Instead, the health departmentwould focus on public awareness and push for large-scale research.Naturally, that outraged Acreage residents who rightfully believe thestate should do everything it can to find the cause. Days later, Gov.Charlie Crist, who wants to be Sen. Crist, insisted the state would dojust that by seeking help from the federal government.

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Tritium contamination is near strength of reactor water

By SUSAN SMALLHEER

Staff Writer - Published: February 7, 2010

VERNON – The highest level of radioactive tritium yet — 2.45 millionpicocuries per liter – was discovered Saturday in a new groundwatermonitoring well at the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor.

The Department of Health announced the discovery, which was in a well near the building holding the advanced off-gas system.

Thedepartment said such high concentrations were an indication that one ormore pipes are leaking highly contaminated water into the ground.

NancyErickson, communications director for the Department of Health, saidthe new level is very close to the tritium concentration in reactorwater, which is usually measured at 2.9 million picocuries for tritium.

Ericksonsaid the contaminated well is near an excavation that was made toinspect a concrete duct that encases a 2-inch drain pipe.

It is also near two buried pipes that carry reactor process water, she said.

Saturday'smeasurements were in a groundwater monitoring well, while Friday'smeasurement of 2.7 million picocuries was in a sump pit inside theadvanced off-gas building.

To view the full article, Click Here.