Study: No cancer, tritium link

May 14, 2007
By KIM SMITH STAFF WRITER
BRACEVILLE -- Tritium leaks did not contribute to an increase of local
cancer cases, according to results of a study done by a national toxic
substances agency and released Friday.

In May of 2006, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin visited the village of Godley. A group
of nearby residents known as the Concerned Citizens Awareness Group unveiled
a map at the meeting showing 111 cases of cancer that had occurred over the
past 20 years on a three-mile stretch of land along West River Road and
Illinois 113. There were 11 homes in the area where one or more cases of
cancer were reported over the past two decades.

"Recent (tritium) spills at the Braidwood plant, along with contamination
problems in local wells have raised serious concerns in the community,"
Durbin said at last year's meeting. "Braidwood-area residents must be given
a full and accurate account of how safe their drinking water is. The
Braidwood community needs a comprehensive and long-term solution that will
keep them safe and informed."

Durbin requested that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
perform an independent health study of the water systems near area nuclear
power plants.

The results were released by Exelon on Friday and match the findings of
other studies conducted by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the
Will County Health Department.

"The letter states that the study found no increases in cancer or mortality
rates in the communities near the Braidwood Station," said Neal Miller,
spokesman for the Braidwood station.

[Note: Need to address both mortality and morbidity or incidence (discussed
below). - JH]

William Cibulas Jr., U.S. public health service director, spearheaded the
ASTDR study. He said in the letter that the Illinois Department of Public
Health's Division of Epidemiology reviewed data for cancer incidence,
childhood cancer mortality, infant mortality, low birth weight and
congenital anomalities in Will County and Braidwood.

"We found no evidence of an increased cancer incidence rate after the
start-up of the nuclear power plants," Cibulas said.

The study was done per county as well as by various zip codes which included
Braidwood, Braceville, Godley, Wilmington, Custer Park and Ritchie.

The ASTDR findings mirror the findings released by the IDPH and Will County
where water testing for almost 400 wells found four wells with detectable
levels of tritium. The highest tritium level detected was 1,524 picocuries
per liter, well below the 20,000 picocuries per liter deemed safe by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Testing did find unsafe levels of
coliform and E. coli.

Exelon has donated $11.5 million for the village of Godley to use to bring
in a safe water source and has been supplying residents with bottled water
while the Godley Water Board studies the best way to provide residents with
a clean water source.

While maintaining there was never a threat to the health of the public,
Exelon admitted to spilling millions of gallons of contaminated water over
the past decades and have vowed to clean it up.

Residents in the area say the company only admitted fault after various
lawsuits were filed.

The reason the ASTDR study was released on Friday was unclear. Miller said
Exelon only recently became aware of the letter. A representative from
Durbin's office was looking into the matter on Friday night.

Contact Kim Smith at (815) 729-6067 or ksmith@...

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/384116,4_1_JO14_TRITIUM_S1.ar\
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