FRUITHURST, Ala. (WIAT) — The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) is now involved in the cancer cluster investigation going on in Fruithurst, Alabama. After eight people, including four children were diagnosed with similar cancers in the small community of Fruithurst, Christy Hiett, a local elementary school principal, started looking for the cause. It led her to a closed rubber compounding facility with a spotty record of reporting to ADEM.
“For 20 years that they were required to report, 10 years they did not report," explained Hiett. "And we also determined that during that time frame, the reports that they did send to ADEM at times were a thousand times higher than levels the EPA would allow.”
Now, almost two years into the investigation, she’s gotten help from two scientists at Auburn University and another at Alabama, as well as countless volunteers. She finally has something to tell people and proof of groundwater pollution. But the investigation also revealed more questions. Now she needs help from ADEM.
“I want them to investigate, to look at the data that’s already there. I want them to determine if this can be a Superfund site to be cleaned up," said Hiett. After […]
Full article: ADEM brought into Fruithurst cancer investigation
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