OCR Text |
Show OA Sure eT WASATCH COUNTY COURIER County Says Cancer Rates unteers cleaned a pile of debris near Those towns then saw a dramatic increase in tourism, he says. - other debris in the street in front of their home for county trucks to collect. As for beautification, Olsen doesn’t On April 12-at 7 p.m. in the Midway _ Town Hall, there will be a town meeting to. solicit community input about the clean-up and beautification programs. Simons says he would like to get all ideas out on the table to explore. “It seems like what we doing has been down before.” think that should be a problem. “Beautification is not a hard thing to get through...One thing about Midway, Midway really pulls together. It’s the only place I’ve lived where you live in a town, not a neighborhood.” But first things fist The clean up program started March 17 when vol- emoil: tim@wasatchcountycourter.com ~ are Not a Concern KIRSTEN SHAW - COURIER asatch Health And residents claim there are ‘many | cancer rows, stating some blocks have STAFF County Board members of met- with state health officials last week _ to discuss a-report compiled by the Utah Department of Health that MLA says the county’s cancer rates are WASATCH COUNTY peee © | 6 Olde Swiss Square 210 East Main, Suite 202 Midway, UT 84049 Wasatch County's Source for News — (48S) 65420661 e (435) 654-2 31(f) @ editor@wasatchcountycourier.com MEMBER: UTAH PRESS ASSOCIATION/ASSOCIATED PRESS Editor & Publisher | Managing Editor....... | Office Manager Education Editor f - Sports Editor j ome Besrcner-ces Dan Stephens ‘Derek Jensen Dixie Bishop Paulette Tillman USS RIDES _ STAFF WRITERS - Kirsten Shaw ¢ Paul Swenson ¢ Tum Westby | CONTRIBUTORS Sam Allen © Matt Heimburger _._.. Aaron Taylor Art Director Books Erin McGuinness. Circulation/MIS Dylan Stephens Amber Stephens ‘Security PRESIDENT/CEO what our professionals are telling us, so we probably won’t pursue anything _ else unless there is some reason or new numbers,” said Phil Wright, COU: ty health director. Last fall, Wright requested the small town the rates seem higher © because people know a lot of: their neighbors who have cancer. “Tt doesn’t appear there’s anything by unusual. It is common to see some elevated rates for a time period,” said Keller. “The next time period, they could drop, so you could consider it clustering, but can’t really tie it to anything unless it is increasing over time or is sustained. You can find fluctuation in a small community because of population change. We need to determine whether some of the additional cases were missed somehow.” Marion Peterson, Cancer ‘Society's American director of cancer state look into cancer incidences after control, said the numbers could be hearing concerns from the public. The. - Health Department of. patients are not admitted Epidemiology had Karen Keller com- tals—where registering takes place— pile research, which she released early this year. The county asked Keller to meet with board members to | show she gathered data and what was for treatment. ' State Ramona revealed. Michael J. Kearns The county Subuiited names of cancer patients recently compiled by the Courier and KUTV to cancer registries to make sure rates are accurate. Last February, the Courier reported _ that cancer rates in the county might « exceed those on record. is Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a rare cancer; inflicts a national average of 1 in 100,000. The Courier skewed because Guests often leukemia to hospi- . at the board meeting © included a local physician, nurses and county environmental health staff. One member of the audience — asked about the risk of fallout. A few _ weeks ago, the Courier reported a-sci- . entist revealed Heber Valley received the largest dosage of a plutonium isotope from the Nevada atomic tests. State toxicologist Dr. Wayne Ball said fallout occurred all over the. nation, even on the East Coast, and their cancer rates are similar. However, a National Cancer Society - found seven in the last five years in the county’s population of approximately fallout map printed in the Courier. showed a much higher concentration ~ 13,600. And a multitude of residents fear there is an epidemic of many in the Intermountain states. types of cancer, including prostate, breast, thyroid and leukemias. Since the Courier’s Feb. 21 article and subsequent stories were pub- Ball mentioned the plutonium, but said concern should be minimal. The toxicologist also said Keller’s study does not show elevated levels of con- tamination from mining or tailings. lished, calls and letters have flooded The Environmental Protection Agency the paper with additional names of dozens of patients. Nearly daily, a Heber Valley resident will submit a tailings, Jong list of new names of cancer vic- icity. tims they know. Some family members. For now, county and state officials are content with the numbers and do. not plan to begin an investigation of told horrific stories about their family members—in some cases five or more—battle with cancer. Elizabeth Murdock and her neigh- bors call Heber’s 600 South Cancer Row. Murdock, a former American Cancer Society director, said the epi- above the ~-Jordanelle Reservoir, a super fund site due to tox- cancer rates. “It was interesting,” Wright said. “There was really not anything more there than there was before.” email: kirsten@wasatchcountycourier.com Pict etino a= Histo cay ‘demic is spread throughout the valley. is considering making the Mayflower Ro era Realty Ruth Robards @ (435) 654-7444 THIS Is AN ABSOLUTE Start planning for your a le to enjoy | Spring BARGAIN Includes a of these features and more! 181 SWISS FARMS WAY ‘ONLY $315,000 4 bedrooms 5 possible, 2.5 baths, 2 story entry and living room, large master suite on main floor, specialty chef’s kitchen, formal dining room and breakfast area, workshop | in garage, easy to show a Ses poe we ee teomem pirhopeny 2 - I don't think there is any reason to believe something different than more than fifty percent of the homes inflicted. | | But the health agencies say te rates are normal, and add that in a nae ne matt seen theme like Leavenworth, Washington. Soldier Hollow. April 28 will be a “general clean-up” day in conjunction with Wasatch County’s countywide program. Residents may leave trash and CONTINUED FROM AS get enlatte tenant wees cm ‘ MIDWAY ~ 28, 2001 ioe me ~ MARCH Sot nm |