Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Plume under Oregon neighborhood carries threat of more cancer cases

August 13, 2007 - What's the real harm in the solvent plume under roughly 250 homes in the Trainsong and River Road neighborhoods?

The answer is theoretical and technical - a higher than usual cancer rate among a set number of people.

The state Department of Environmental Quality figures the concentrations are so low that the agency is only concerned about people facing chronic, long-term exposure.

The federally funded Superfund Health Investigation and Education program concluded that levels of solvent in private wells that dip into the plume are so low that it's fine to use the water for everything but drinking. But the investigators also declared - as a precaution - that the solvent vapors in the crawl spaces of some homes are a public health hazard.

More . . .

No comments: