The Acreage Cancer Study

Hi Everyone,

Today is the big day. The Dr. Oz show will air it's Acreage special today on Channel 5, WPTV at 3:00 p.m. in West Palm Beach. The show airs at 10 a.m. on Channel 10 in Broward and Miami/Dade. If you cannot tune in, fear not, we will post video of the show on the website for your convenience.

The Acreage is now receiving national attention! Our hope is that this attention will only help this community receive answers to its growing list of questions.

To view a preview of the Dr. Oz show, Click Here.

Also, to check out Dr. Oz on Fox News, Click Here.

Below are several articles of interest for you to review.

Have a great day.

Deal to Save Everglades May Help Sugar Firm

By DON VAN NATTA Jr. and DAMIEN CAVE

Published: March 7, 2010

When Gov. Charlie Crist announced Florida’s $1.75 billion plan to save the Everglades by buying out a major landowner, United States Sugar, he declared that the deal would be remembered as a public acquisition “as monumental as the creation of the nation’s first national park, Yellowstone.”

Standing amid the marshes at the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in June 2008, Mr. Crist said, “I can envision no better gift to theEverglades, the people of Florida and the people of America — as we as our planet — than to place in public ownership this missing link that represents the key to true restoration.”

Nearly two years later, the governor’s ambitious plan to reclaim the river of grass, as the famed wetlands are known, is instead on track to rescue the fortunes of United States Sugar.

The proposal was downsized only five months after it was announced. By April 2009, amid the deepening recession, the state said it could afford to purchase only 72,800 acres of United States Sugar’s land, for $536 million. The company would stay in business and the state would retain the option of buying the remaining 107,000 acres at a future date.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Region's sewer: Grand Cal faces long recuperation Water quality better, but dredging toxic sediment required

March 8, 2010

BY GITTE LAASBY

GARY-- The Grand Calumet River has the most problems of any river in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Cleanup has progressed slowly since the river was designated as one of the nation's worst in 1987.

Locals say it could take several decades before the river is restored to its pre-industrial state and can be a source of recreation for region residents, but several proposals are in the works.

Historically, industry and municipalities in the region used the river as a sewer for their waste. For about a century, steel mills and treatment plants have spewed untold amounts of heavy metals, pesticides, bacteria and pollutants that can cause cancer in humans into the river.

Today, elevated levels of mercury, lead, cadmium and polychlorinated biphenyls lie buried in the Grand Cal to a depth of up to 11.5 feet below ground surface, according to the EPA. The river also has problems with oil and grease and too little oxygen. EPA estimates that the Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal contain 5 million to 10 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment up to 20 feet deep.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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This Information Brought To You By The CDC:

Ground Water Awareness Week

Clean water is one of the world's most precious resources. Peopleuse water every day for a variety of reasons, such as drinking,bathing, recreation, agriculture, cooling, and industry. Although waterplays an essential role in every person's life, many individuals arenot aware that much of their water comes from the ground in the form ofground water. National Ground Water Awareness Week, an annual observance sponsoredby the National Ground Water Association (NGWA), is March 7-13, 2010.The focus of this week is to stress the importance of yearly watertesting and well maintenance. This year NGWA is asking people to payparticular attention to their well caps by proclaiming March 9th"National Inspect-Your-Well-Cap-Day" to encourage well owners to dothis simple, yet essential, inspection (1).

Ground Water Contamination

Groundwater is water that is located below the surface of the earth in spacesbetween rock and soil. Ground water supplies water to wells and springsand is a substantial source of water used in the United States. Thirtypercent of all available freshwater comes from ground water (2), which supplies a significant amount of water to community water systems and private wells (3).

Protecting ground water sources from contamination is an importantpriority for countries throughout the world, including the UnitedStates. Most of the time, ground water sources in the United States aresafe to use and not a cause for worry. However, ground water sourcescan become contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, andchemicals that can lead to sickness and disease.

Ground water contaminants sometimes occur naturally in theenvironment (for example, arsenic and radon), but are more often theresult of human activities. These activities include incorrect use offertilizers and pesticides, poorly constructed or maintained septicsystems, septic systems located too close to drinking water sources,improper disposal or storage of wastes, and chemical spills atindustrial sites (4).

For more information, Click Here.

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Residents Scared by Local Cancer Study

March 8, 2010

Chicago Tribune

By Jared S. Hopkins

Like many residents of Crestwood, Frank Caldario has been worried about the water he drank for years without knowing it was contaminated.

Caldario’s concerns, however, were heightened when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer last year.

The 30-year-old office worker said surgeons removed a gumball-size tumor and about 40 percent of his right kidney.

“I can’t help but wonder if what happened to me had something to do with the water,” said Caldario, who doesn’t smoke and has lived in Crestwood since 1993.

“It’s just unreal for someone my age to get that,” he said.

After the state released a report Friday that found toxic chemicals in Crestwood’s drinking water could have contributed to elevated cancer rates in the village, residents said they were worried about their families’ health, the impact on their property values and footing the bill to defend public officials who may be responsible.

To view the full article, Click Here.