Why living in Shannon, Quebec, is bad for your health
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/why-living-in-shannon-quebec-is-bad-for-your-health-8773342.html
Why living in Shannon, Quebec, is bad for your health
Water quality was once a source of pride for a town in the shadow of an arms factory. Now, 500 cancers have been diagnosed
Benjamin Shingler
Sunday 18 August 2013
Jean Bernier slows his car to a stop on a quiet, tree-lined street. They call this the red zone, he says, gesturing towards a row of tidy bungalows. Nearly everybody here had cancer. You could go from house to house and probably find someone in each.
Mr Bernier, 60, lives in Shannon, Quebec, a town that has been plagued by abnormally high rates of certain cancers. Medical professionals have pointed the finger at the towns Valcartier military base, where trichloroethylene (TCE) a solvent which strips grease from metal was used by a munitions manufacturer for more than 40 years.
Although it was confirmed in 1997 that the solvent had seeped into the towns water supply, residents say repeated calls for a full investigation have fallen on deaf ears. However, after years of waiting, they may soon get some answers.
In May, Quebec public health officials set up an international committee of experts to examine more than 500 cases of people diagnosed with cancer in the area. Rene Bouchard, a spokesman for the public health agency, says the researchers are collecting evidence and plan to meet again this autumn...