ST. JOSEPH, MO -
The general public got a chance to ask investigators questions on Tuesday night after the Environmental Protection Agency released its initial findings into soil samples connected to nearly 70 cases of brain tumors in and around Cameron, Missouri.
So far, investigators say that they have not found a direct cause of the increased tumor rates, but a lawsuit claims that sludge from a St. Joseph tannery is to blame.
Around a dozen Missouri residents attended the public meeting in St. Joseph on Tuesday night, where representatives from the EPA and other state agencies addressed public concerns about the tannery. Residents say that they were looking for some answers behind the sicknesses.
"We want to make our presence known and put out our opinions about what's going on," said Catherine Frasher of Cameron. Her husband, James, developed a brain tumor last year. The Frashers and many other local residents believe that sludge the tannery, once known as Prime Tanning or Natural Beef Leathers, gave to farmers to use as fertilizer is responsible.
"We started hearing concerns from public in late April of this year," said Chris Whitely of the EPA. "Questions of what's in the soil on these northwest Missouri farms that have received sludge from the tannery, and are we at risk because of that?"
Last week, the EPA released initial results from their investigation. Their samples, gathered from farms in Andrew, Buchanan and DeKalb counties, tested positive for the known cancer-causing agent chromium 6, but at levels that the agency says are below harmful limits.
But residents like the Frashers say that they don't believe it.
"They've never been quite truthful with everything," said James Frasher. "I think they're doing what they can to cover this up and tell us not what's going on."
But not everyone at the meeting believes that the tannery is to blame. Richard LaFollette says that he and his son have used sludge from the tannery for the past decade without any ill-effect.
"We dont see any problems with it and if there was any problems with it, we've known workers who've worked there ever since the plant started and there's no problems with those workers," said LaFollette. "Why haven't people in south St. Joseph have it? We don't see that."
The EPA plans another round of soil testing at an additional 15 farms later this month.
So far, investigators say that they have not found a direct cause of the increased tumor rates, but a lawsuit claims that sludge from a St. Joseph tannery is to blame.
Around a dozen Missouri residents attended the public meeting in St. Joseph on Tuesday night, where representatives from the EPA and other state agencies addressed public concerns about the tannery. Residents say that they were looking for some answers behind the sicknesses.
"We want to make our presence known and put out our opinions about what's going on," said Catherine Frasher of Cameron. Her husband, James, developed a brain tumor last year. The Frashers and many other local residents believe that sludge the tannery, once known as Prime Tanning or Natural Beef Leathers, gave to farmers to use as fertilizer is responsible.
"We started hearing concerns from public in late April of this year," said Chris Whitely of the EPA. "Questions of what's in the soil on these northwest Missouri farms that have received sludge from the tannery, and are we at risk because of that?"
Last week, the EPA released initial results from their investigation. Their samples, gathered from farms in Andrew, Buchanan and DeKalb counties, tested positive for the known cancer-causing agent chromium 6, but at levels that the agency says are below harmful limits.
But residents like the Frashers say that they don't believe it.
"They've never been quite truthful with everything," said James Frasher. "I think they're doing what they can to cover this up and tell us not what's going on."
But not everyone at the meeting believes that the tannery is to blame. Richard LaFollette says that he and his son have used sludge from the tannery for the past decade without any ill-effect.
"We dont see any problems with it and if there was any problems with it, we've known workers who've worked there ever since the plant started and there's no problems with those workers," said LaFollette. "Why haven't people in south St. Joseph have it? We don't see that."
The EPA plans another round of soil testing at an additional 15 farms later this month.
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