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Tonight there are new developments in the search for what could be causing the
high cancer rate
in the Clyde, Green Springs area. Good evening everyone I'm Diane Larson
and I'm Lee Conklin. As we told you last month families with children who have
died hired an environmental
expert to do some testing and today those results are in. 13 ABC's Christine
Long in Sandusky County with what is new
at 6, Christine. Attorney Alan Mortensen says he is pleased to announce
that nothing significant was found
in the samples taken here at the Clyde water treatment plant. Which is good news
for the community
however, he is not yet releasing the test results of the dust samples taken from the
attics
of several homes. We want the truth.
Warren Brown's daughter Alexa died from cancer
after years of finding no answers, he and other parents in the Clyde area took
matters into their own hands.
Last month, 13 ABC was the only news outlet allowed inside the Clyde water
treatment plant when the environmental experts hired by the families
took a three ounce sample lime sludge. Today the family's attorney announced
that sample tested clean of carcinogens. However, he is staying quiet
on the dust sample results. Only calling them significant
and important. We are proceeding very cautiously
with the raw data that we do have. We do not want
to rush to judgment and harm anybody.
Mortensen would not comment on if PCB's were found. Only saying the dust results
will next be forwarded
to the U.S. and state EPA and undergo further analysis.
We don't want it to be used in an improper way or an improper fashion.
It appears Mortensen is holding back because about a week and a half ago
a different group of families filed a $750 million dollar
class action lawsuit against Whirlpool Corporation.
The former owner of the old Whirlpool Park property in Green Springs
that's where last year the U.S. EPA found evidence of toxic sludge
buried nine feet deep. They have filed suit prematurely
and opportunistically. Brown says he and the other families of kids who have died
will wait to see results of the deeper EPA testing
at the old Whirlpool Park site in the next few months
before taking legal action because there's not yet a causal link.
If the truth in fact comes in the form of $10 million dollars
or $10 dollars it does not matter.
We want to know why, who
and what caused a "statistical anomaly"
The attorney for the current owners of the old Whirlpool Park site, the Abdoo
family,
was at today's news conference. The Abdoo's who bought the property from Whirlpool
in 2008
are also listed as defendants in the class action lawsuit.
Their attorney says they've been working with the EPA since learning about the
contamination.
In fact we're trying to push for it as quickly as we can we want to see the property
properly characterized and then probably clean it up if that's what's appropriate.
Reporting from Clyde, Christine Long, 13 ABC Action News.
Meanwhile the attorney handling the class action lawsuit against Whirlpool
says
there is no reason that the information cannot be released to the government and
the public
who has a vested interest in the outcome. He goes on to say
the effects of toxic dumping in our community are far reaching. Through our
class action we aim to hold the responsible parties accountable
and bring closure for the families who have been affected.