Public health

ADEM brought into Fruithurst cancer investigation – Alabama

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 […]

More about Alabama water:

Alabama: Birmingham opposes coal mine near drinking water source

America’s Amazon named among most endangered USA river systems

Coal Ash Dumps Are Contaminating Groundwater in 22 States

Summary
Article Name
ADEM brought into Fruithurst cancer investigation – Alabama
Description
Alabama's Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) now involved in the cancer cluster investigation in Fruithurst. 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.
Author
Publisher Name
WIAT CBS42
Publisher Logo

Recent Posts

Scathing report released detailing Navy’s handling of Red Hill fuel spill

The Inspector General of the Department of Defense released some scathing reports Thursday over the…

6 days ago

Growing Food Instead of Grass Lawns in California Front Yards

Photo: Morgan Boone, a volunteer with Crop Swap LA, harvested lettuce at the La Salle…

2 weeks ago

LA River restoration connects us back to ‘the life force of our city’

Los Angeles residents at a section of the Los Angeles River cleanup in Los Angeles,…

3 weeks ago

LAist: New study raises questions about heavy metals in fire retardants

Over the past decade, about 67 million gallons of fire retardant have been dropped on…

3 weeks ago

Meadow and watershed restoration in the Golden Trout Wilderness

Photo: Golden Trout Wilderness Seeking blue, seeing gold The Kern Plateau features a chain of…

3 weeks ago

First sighting of salmon in 100 years marks key milestone for California dam removal

For the first time in more than a century, a salmon was observed swimming through Klamath…

4 weeks ago