The Brockovich Report

I googled this and found this story on it where a doctor claims people are just having a 'psychological' effect when they become aware of other cancer victims in the same area. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/06/18/0618cluster.html?imw=Y It's disgusting that anyone would dismiss cancer or one's awareness of the number of victims, as a mere trick of the mind. Very insulting to the victims.

The article also mentioned that people moved there for the cleanliness and health benefit, as opposed to city pollution. Sadly, it seems rural areas can be lovely to look at, but as polluted or more so, than cities. The chemicals used in agriculture are dangerous and are often spread carelessly. One of the reasons to buy organically grown food is not just so you don't ingest these poisons, but so you don't support a farming system that poisons the earth with them too. Some of the worst poisons I've had dropped on me were in rural areas. Imagine sitting in your yard enjoying the day when a plane goes over and dusts the crop next your property w/some unknwown but choking chemical dust that makes you feel ill. It probalby IS safer to live next to a freeway!

You are my hero! I am a law clerk (paralegal) in a personal injury firm in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I have watched your movie 10 times as it inspires me to be a better law clerk and person. We have just now started the intake process in an asbestos class action. I have seen your TV ads on the American networks and congratulate you for not letting your fame and fortune entice you away from your very important work. Kudos to you.

How do we go about testing our water for carcinogens?

Who do I call?

Thank you. Linda

I work in the water treatment industry in the acreage area.

I have emailed several reporters in the area regarding this story.

I know that the well water is being tested. Is the treated water being tested?

Many of the well water users in this community use chlorine to treat thier water. Chlorine produces disinfection byproducts in this water. Many of those are carcenogenic. I would be interested in knowing if anyone has tested for trihalomethanes or other chlorine byproducts.

Many well water systems use chlorine pellet erosion feeders. These containers allow the chlorine pellets to dissolve when the water is stationary and when someone opens a tap in the house, the water is pumped through the feeder through a filter and into the home. The longer the period of time the water was not used, the higher the concentration of chlorine. I have had homeowners tell me that they get burned by the chlorine in thier showers and some complain about it damaging thier hair.

There are many chemical free alternatives that will produce the desired quality water with no harmful byproducts.

Bill,

You asked if the treated water has been tested? I know that the well water has been tested and also the tap water. The tap water and the well water did show small amounts of contaminates. These concerns will be addressed and hopefully residents will get the answers they need.

Many local homeowners have stepped forward and are angry with the news coverage. They are upset that their property values will plumit if contaminates are found. This is a concern for all residents, however the bigger concern is finding out if a cancer cluster exists and if so, what is causing it. The goal is to get answers and in the process, prevent others from getting sick.

If you would like to help in the study since you are an expert in the field, just let me know.

I live in The Acreage area with my wife and 2 small children. We live approx 3 miles south of the "cluster", but of course I am still concerned. when this news first broke, my first thought was the fill people bring in for their properties. People back fill ponds and low areas with differents types of fill from different sources. Of specific concern is the growing amount of fill I see that is nothing more than ground up construction debris. I see it often, it is ground up or mulched garbage... pieces of block, brick, drywall, insulation, glass, wires, nails, ???, who knows what. This is very common and always concerned me. Now I wonder...

Thank you for confirming what I have always suspected. Rural is not always healthier. I used to work in the Redland area of Miami...a large rural community dotted with lots of agriculture. South Florida is a great location for growing plants and produce. It is also home to many pests hence the pesticide needed to combat these pests...or so the growers believe. I worked at one of the interior plant nurseries a couple of years ago...while there I witnessed a couple of the ladies in the field become violently ill after inhaling chemicals that were being mixed for spraying. Spraying pesticides, fugicides, etc...took place almost daily there.
Contrary to what the growers will have you believe I do not think the pesticides remain contained. I believe they eventually get washed down into our water supply - into the wells.

Ms. Brockovich, I live in the acreage and wanted to know what your gut feeling is on this case. We all know the economic outcome of this will be bad, homes will depreciate and honestly no one will want to move anywhere near the acreage. I will be packing up and leaving. I am waiting patiently for this investigation to get done.

To see a story like this is scary, to be in this story is unbelievable. I am that man in the video posted above by another; this is my family's nightmare; I never thought this could happen. First to have a child die in 2006 at 4 years old of a rare brain tumor and then to find out it may have been caused by the place I chose to live for the last twenty years. I fear for my other two children and wife. I hope this is not a cancer cluster for the sake of my family and all our neighbors but common sense tells me otherwise. My home will be up for sale this week. I can't leave here fast enough. If one of my other children are stricken with a brain tumor I could not live with myself. The public health officials are starting to make a show of concern but I have seen firsthand deceit and politics. If the house doesn't sell soon I will have to walk away from it with nothing. It will be worth it if it does turn out to be environmentally related. To those who support us in asking for an investigation, thank you. To those who are angry at us for lowering property values, I hope it turns out not to be a "cancer cluster" so you and your children never have to face the fact you are putting money before you children. 50 victims, most of them brain tumors, glioblastomas in a three square mile area is way above normal. All we are asking for is some testing. How hard is it to do blood and tissue testing? Soil and water testing in a hand full of homes that have been affected by a brain tumor in one small area? What's a life worth? The tax payers are funding trillions of dollars in corporate bailouts while CEO's are taking executive retreat weekends with millions of those dollars and millions in "bonus" money. The average worker or business owner would never get a bonus or a retreat for doing a bad job or running their business into the ground. All we are asking is for a microscopic amount of our own tax money to be used for testing. I'm willing to give up everything and start over to protect my family. I fear health officials don't want answers and they have more money and power than I do.

As I listen to the plane overhead dump mosquito pesticides over this end of the Acreage I write this comment:
I agree with the comment above that some more focus should be on the form of water treatment these homes have as well as on who drilled their wells - and was it done correctly?
There are many legitimate water companies but unfortunately many more who have no sense of responsibility or ethics over profits.
I was told when I had my house built out here to be careful who drilled my well. I was told some folks had contracted a number of neurological illnesses after it was found their home well was not drilled properly. This could explain how such toxins in the groundwater could get into drinking water. Are all these homes built by the same builder? - or contracting the same well drilling co.? I never let my family drink our home water after being told that. OTOH, I notice the cluster is not only near the old aerospace research facilites but also close to the FPL Substation. High voltage lines also have a proven connection with childhood lymphomas as much as agricultural pesticides. For these unfortunate Acreage families, it seems they are sitting in the middle of a cancer risk trifecta box - sadly, the worst of all combinations of toxin exposure! It is a wake-up call for municipalities to understand the deadly combination that results from always minimizing these individual risks.

Quite a few Pratt-Whitney ex-employees still live in the county. Funny thing though, I've never heard of any current or previous PW employees to continue living in the Acreage after 1995-96 - This was after a major layoff & when the company moved out of Fla. - Now, it makes one wonder about the company's move at that time & why many previous employees never ended up in the Acreage after the other employees relocated with the company. `Could be a coinicidence but it could be something more.
Erin - this is the area you might like to sink your teeth into ;-)

I commented earlier but didn't see my comments -

I know of at least 3 cancer clusters I've studied: Fallon, NV; Madison Co., GA; & Norco, LA. The last 2 have had numerous industrial & other chemical releases, but the Fallon area had an underground Nuclear bomb test only 28 miles away, and the area well water is showing radioactive material in some areas.

Hello Erin,

I am also an Acreage resident who currently lives in the "cluster." I have two young children and I am terrified. However, I do not plan on sitting on the sidelines being fed information from sensational media sources looking for awards. What would you suggest to citizens who want to go "grassroots" on this? Clearly, there is and has been a problem for many years. Do we trust the same government who allowed this to happen to give us honest test results? I am not very comfortable with that. Please give us advice, we are an army of parents and neighbors waiting to go into battle.

Thank you for giving your attention to our crisis.

Sincerely,

CWT.

Erin;
Did you hear the "cha-ching" of the residuals this morning? Your movie aired on one of the cable channels.
It's been a long time since I've seen it w/o commecials - great movie. If Julia Roberts did you right, you kicked butt!
(Gawd! boyfreind looked like my Ex!)

Unfortunatley The acting Director of the Palm Beach County AA in her last media update has already stated the number of brain tumors that she is seeing so far do not seem illogical ....and that no victim and no soil will be tested if they at the end of the count in Aug feel the number is within their normal range.....Basically she is saying she is not surprised by the number with all the toxins we live with in the acreage. Why are they alloud to decide how many people they are comfortable in getting sick. She also stated that they will focus on one type of tumor and break it down and find why a victim is more likely to aquire a brain tumor in comparison to a person who does not. There are approx. five different types of brain tumors out here and at least five different toxins....(different causal factors different cancers)
The residents feel Just move on and start testing the soil /environment...you are insulting us by not!but one thing on our side is you are giving us more time to become more knowlegeable and read many historical facts that have transpired here in the acreage..

Erin

Please come out to the Acreage and help us, we need someone like you to help us , then they will not cover up anything hopefully, and residents of the Acreage please post times of meetings and what is going on , I work all day and want to stay informed of what is happening although I do not have children , I have a lower back problem and my doctor told me to see a cancer doctor which now is scaring me alot, I have no cancer in my family and living in the Acreage 10 years now and love it , but to what point do you give in and say that is it, if you move you cannot afford anything else with the economy the way it is we are stuck ,,,,most of us are just working people who like the rural life style but I am very concerned about what is happening please acreage keep everyone informed of meeting's that is the key some of us do not get a chance to see the news nor know what is really happening in our area, we are an army of 50,000 people and we all should have our wells tested what about us being tested for tumors , someone else then our health insurance should pay for this ,,,,,,we should not have to pay for any kind of testing and what about the children , how much does it take to get them well and to make sure this does not come back to bit them when they get married and have children of there own ,,,,
Help us Erin then we will know what is really going on
Thanks
Susie

Do We have to pay the our Property Taxes here in the Acreage? I am so concerned about having to leave my residence, I will need every penny to do so, as we will not be able to sell our homes! Can we petition the Property Appraiser. Suggestions Please! We are all very concerned about this deadly situation.

www.theacreagecancerstudy.com

AGin: They can probably get you a reduction of property taxes, but it's likely you will need independent proof of your property being contaminated.

Getting your water tested would help document what contamination is where. Installing activated carbon filters on faucets used for drinking water would be a help to catch many dangerous substances (BUT, not all of them!), but those toxins can evaporate from the soil to some degree, especially as you water. I would NOT eat anything grown or raised in the suspected to be contaminated area! And, work together on this.

Just my $.02 worth.

we are currently in foreclosure, but trying to modify our loan because we are upside down. Having had ovarian cancer - sept 2008. Do we really want to stay here? Maybe we should cut our loses now, (Now, that our credit is shot all to heck). What to do.

Erin and anyone in the acreage,
I have a big issue with this whole "scare". I don't want there to be a problem with the area, I have kids too, but I feel as though we are getting a bad wrap. Yes, cancer is on the rise through out the entire country. From preservatives, to pesticides, to radio activity and more we can't cover here, cancer is growing and as the population grows, so does the cancer number. When we look at the acreage map, it looks like a bad case of the chicken pox and one else seems to be getting it but us!

My question is this, where are the cancer numbers in the surrounding areas? We have Wellington, PGA, Ibis, all of whom treat their lawns like crazy to keep them looking pristine. There is also Royal Palm Beach which has been around as long as, if not longer than many of the acreage homes. Why hasn't anyone looked at their cancer numbers. I heard one woman freak out when this was questioned because the last thing she wants is to have their property values to go down. It's not about money, or fame for the area like bringing in a firm with a Hollywood attachment.

We need scientific answers, with broad research and kick out the media. There are SO many rumors floating around about this entire fiasco. There are also people at the top of this "cancer cluster" question that tend to be "noise makers". Lets stop with the chatter, get the facts then discuss our options.

There is NO CANCER CLUSTER IN THE ACREAGE! - It hasn't be proven at this time! Yet everyone is acting like we have the plague. I have wanted to move for some time, but now that the noise makers and media have us by the short hairs, no one is going any where.

If your firm is coming to this area, fine...but tell the media hungry people to leave the notepads and cameras behind until we have real answers. Lets just hope and pray that is does end well and its just a result of a growing population that is being fed unhealthy food.

Why not open a discussion with the government about allowing Organics to be affordable so at least most people can afford healthier choices. Now that's a topic I would like to see taken to Tallahassee.

For those of you who live in the acreage and having health issues, I am so very sorry for you. I used to live on 87th St North by Coconut & Northlake. I also worked at Pratt Whitney for approximately a year. When I moved to the acreage I started getting headaches about a year later. Went to the dr but never had a cat scan done. We moved from the acreage about 8 years ago but I am still having the headaches and they seem to be getting worse. I just heard about this about 2 weeks ago and now I am frightened. I don't know anything about brain tumors and how quickly they progress, but either way, as I sit here right now with a migraine, I am scheduling an appointment tomorrow to get a cat scan. I will come back and let you know if anything is found. I agree there must be a problem and they have a lot of work to do and need to start spending some of our tax dollars on this instead of giving raises to Labor Unions, bailing out banks etc. I will be praying for all of the residents in the acreage. I am so sorry for those who have already lost their loved ones.

God Bless you all!

Hi
I had lived in the Acreage with my 3 children for about 2 1/2 years I want to know if anyone or their children have been experiencing unknown or unfounded Gastrointestinal Problems. My oldest daughter who is now 14 has recently had numerous bouts of gastro issues that the doctors cannot seem to figure out. I have been researching the problems in the Acreage and I have heard all about the tumors etc so I just wanted to check and see if anyone is familiar with other problems other than the tumors etc. Thanks so much

I have lived in the Acreage for five years now, and moved up here to help my son with his asthma. We thought we had found the perfect place to raise our kids. We found out about the cancer, and we live right in the middle. My husband and I freaked out, and immediately made plans to get out of the area. We left our house, sold the horses, and moved the kids. I know that may sound crazy, but we both agreed our family is more important than money, or a house. If there is in fact some kind of class action suit filed, will all of us that said it is just not worth it ever see any kind of compensation for our homes?

Kim

Both my kids (aged 16 and 11 ) have had stomach upsets. We had our son tested for everything and it all came back negative.This was a few months ago and he has been ok over the summer. My daughter ofter has a tummy ache but we figured she just had a sensitive stomach but now I read your post and I wonder if that is the case.

I have been working on pediatric cancer rates in Florida since three years. It is important to use scientifically sound statistical methods to identify potential cancer clusters and then follow-up with epidemiological methodologies to validate the cluster and to correctly identify any existing environmental factors that may have played a role in the elevated cancer risk for South Florida. The Florida SEER cancer registry published in 2008 a detailed report on the pediatric cancer situation in Florida for 1980-2000.

Good luck guys.

We live on 72nd Court North right across from the FPL Power Station. We have 2.58 acres but most of it is power lines. We have lived here for 7 years but for the last three years Donna, my wife, has been sick on and off. At first we chalked it up to menopause but it seems to be getting worse day by day. She is not the same person she was. Her system has become very sensitive to the everything. She is unable to work due to pain in her neck, back and ankles.
I am a 40% disabled Vietnam era veteran in the automobile industry. My income has been cut to 1/6th of what I used to make. We originally had this home built to live in and as a potential investment. Now we would be lucky if we could give it away.
My health insurance is covered by the VA but Donna has none. We can't even afford to have her properly dignosed to find out what her condition is. Our taxes this year are $6000.00 and I have no idea where I will find that money, not to mention the mortgage,the 2nd, car payments and all the other living expenses.
Do you know if our government has anything set up to help the good folks out here in the acreage? These last three years have been horrible and we don't know where to turn. God Bless You, Larry & Donna LaBate

WEITZ & LUXENBERG gave a two hour presentation in the Acreage's community high school on 8-27-09. A two-part video of that meeting that I produced is now available on my youtube channel.

The Acreage Cancer Cluster Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDOcjL3Cl9E&feature=channel_page

The Acreage Cancer Cluster Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDxluZsLT3k&feature=channel_page

I hope people will respond to this. We live in Indiana. For years we lived in North Manchester. My son developed a mass in his lung while I was pregnant with him. My grandma died of cancer. My step-dad died of heart cancer. My brother is only 30 and has brain cancer. We lost two dogs to cancer. I had pre-cancer cells in my cervix. A guy I know had eye cancer and his son 37 has brain cancer. The same kind as my brother and it is the most aggressive form. The link, North Manchester, Indiana. I know there is a connection to all these cancers and I need help finding it. Please help me. My email sweetpea0710@hotamil.com

Hi Julie

Yes, my daughter has had the stomach problems now for 18 months and it was just recently that they are leaning toward pancreatitis (which is rare in children and not diagnosed quickly). My other daughter (11) has started now with stomach issues, though not the same as her sister. If you see my post please email me at kimhayes22@aol.com I would like to discuss this with you further. thanks and good luck

Erin,

What are the implications of just leaving our home? We have worked for 25 years to get good credit. What can happen to us (other than the bad credit score for 7 years) if we just up and left?

If you're looking for State or EPA help to monitor your water, you may have a long wait:

Clean Water Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/us/13water.html?_r=1

The NY Times has looked into this problem with FOIA requests:

http://projects.nytimes.com/toxic-waters

"That research shows that an estimated one in 10 Americans have been exposed to drinking water that contains dangerous chemicals or fails to meet a federal health benchmark in other ways."

You are all going to have to come to terms with reality. This is propaganda. There is nothing in your water that isn't in all water at some point and is removed for safe drinking. I believe that there are a combination of problems in the acreage. People do not take care of there treatment systems change out filters overdose chlorine and some have no system at all. They put to much fertilizer on there yards and pest spray. And radium can be removed with an osmosis system. City water is big bucks for the county. I wouldn't go there as they are probably the cause of the hype. That's 45,000 more residents paying out. Keep your wells and update them city water is the same water anyhow full of run off and chemicals flushed down the toilet detergent shit etc. It is just treated and chlorinated. You are all destroying your property values with hysteria. And Those with tumors. Do you have pools, play in ponds? Drink off the well? These are the real questions what are you doing that people who aren't getting cancer are not. Probably an easier conclusion. All residents with common sense should be cooking and drinking from water filtered through and osmosis system that's common sense. Unless the sulfur smell is something you would normally want to ingest. All I see is a bunch of yuppies that did not know what they were getting into living in the country. This would be the same problems you would be faced with anywhere in the country on a well. You would need to filter the water properly before you drink it and every well needs to be tested to find out what proper filtration means. Some need bigger better systems than others. But there was just some lady on the news getting a free filter because she was drinking right from the well which is probably half the residents in the acreage anyways.
Anyways
Good Luck

This cancer cluster thing is a scam to trick people into getting city water. Its a simple as that. There are many things that cause cancer. Water is the least likely culprit. The press is making things worse by spreading lies by saying there are "Extremely high levels of radiation in everyone's water."

I worked in the nuclear power industry years ago and simply put, what these kids were experiencing is not radiation poisoning. If they ingested toxic doses of radioactive material, they symptoms would not be what they have.

I was just wondering after reading all the posts on this website if it would be wise to purchase a property in the Acreage. The area I was looking at is around the Northlake/Coconut blvd location.I have a 2 year old and don't want to put him in any danger.If anyone could shed some light on this matter I would apprciate it.

TALKED TOSOME GUYS THAT WORKED AT PRATT FROM THE LATE 50S AND THERE IS APROBLEM WITH RADIOACTIVE TEST MATERIALS THAT WERE BURIED AT PRATT AND CORBETT PROPERTY LINEAREA. IF THEY SAY NOTHING IS WRONG, LET AN INDEPENDENT COMPANY WALK THE WOODS WITH A GEIGER COUNTER TO RESOLVE THIS CLAIM. NO TESTALLOWED--COVER UP COMES TO MIND. JUST A THOUGHT I HAVE LIVED HER SINCE 1955 AND HAVE HEARD A LOT OF COMMENTS FROM PRATT EMPLOYEES.

Lion Country Safari is right beside the Acreage and closer to Pratt and Whitney. Does anyone know of the incidence of cancer in the animals there?

My parents worked for Pratt and Whitney and they knew several employees who had also had VERY rare and aggressive forms of brain cancer in the 80s-90s.

Many of the employees also were afraid to drink the water.

There is also a reported cancer cluster in Pratt & Whitney's Connecticut plant if you google it...

I have just filed formal notice to Alino Alonso, Director of the PB C. Health District of a personal suit in a Federal Court. What none know in the Acerage about the politics of our County and the coverups could be a book unto itself. My case is cancer related and has been an ongoing battle with the County for many years. There is nothing honest about Ms. Alonso and her political groups, period. I have not shared most of the evidences I have gained over the year concerning Ms. Alonso, but that is about to change in exposure in Federal Records.

there is a cancer cluster in the acreage.

In 2003 I came to the Acreage with my family and began building my home. I would frequent a restaurant for breakfast called Santiago's in Royal Palm Beach. There I met one of the owners or directors of the local funeral home. I will never forget what he told me. First he said he had written a letter to the Governor and then to the Mayor of RPB, Massilotti. He proceeded to tell me that all his life he had worked in the funeral business and he had noticed that he was burying a lot of individuals with similar cancers. He said to me that something is not right and advised me not to drink the water or to build somewhere else because he had never seen anything like this before .. so many people dying from cancer coming out of the same area. He never mentioned kids at the time, he mentioned more people in there 20s & 30s. He said the politicians were not listening to him. Now I'm very scared and angry at our government. We, the people need to come together, and not tolerate this any longer. I feel such sadness as a parent, for those parents that have been affected by this. A young cuban boy who lived in the Acreage, but recently moved back to Miami died from brain cancer. He was not included in the current number of cases being reported. If the state & government drop the ball with this, we need to do something drastic to get the attention of the nation because the state & government will try to cover this up. 10,000 people blocking traffic might get their attention.