Midlothian Texas: Unusually High Cancer Mortality & Birth Defect Rates
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Tim Campbell
Nov 25, 2007, 2:30:52 PM11/25/07
to Texas Environment
Report assesses industrial pollution
By SCOTT STREATER
Star-Telegram staff writer
Map: Midlothian
http://www.star- telegram. com/metro_ news/story/ 322962.html
When news reports surfaced three years ago about industrial pollution
in
Midlothian, and its possible effects on health, Salvador Mier decided
to
investigate.
Mier, who until retiring in 1994 managed the Centers for Disease
Control
and Prevention's five-state regional office in Dallas, ordered every
report he could find. He and his wife, Grace, compiled boxes of data,
including health studies suggesting high birth-defect rates and high
cancer mortality rates. They found government reports documenting
industrial emissions of toxic mercury and dioxins.
"What we didn't find was a true health review on the effects of any of
this," he said.
So, in July 2005, Mier spearheaded a petition drive, got 371 people to
sign the document, and persuaded federal health officials to partner
with
the state and study whether pollution is making people sick in
Midlothian,
southeast of Fort Worth.
Mier and his neighbors will soon start to get some answers.
In December, federal and state health officials are expected to unveil
the
initial results of the two-year-plus study. The first part, to be
released
next month, will deal with the health effects from exposure to toxic
metals such as arsenic and mercury and to volatile organic compounds
such
as benzene, a known carcinogen. The second part, to be released next
year
at the earliest, will deal with health effects from ozone, lead,
particulate matter, carbon monoxide and sulfur oxides.
"Between the two parts we hope to answer questions the community has
about
potential health effects from the air they breathe," said Jennifer
Lyke, a
regional representative in the Dallas office of the federal Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
The agency and the Texas Department of State Health Services conducted
the
study.
But the study has already drawn criticism. That's because it was
limited
mostly to a review of existing air-quality data, health statistics and
a
few previous studies. And, despite the petition asking health
officials to
focus on pollution from the city's cement plants, the study deals with
air
pollution from all Midlothian sources: automobiles, off-road
construction
equipment and industry, said Susan Prosperie, manager of the health
assessment and toxicology group for the state Health Department. Some
environmental health experts warn not to expect much data connecting
pollution to illnesses in Midlothian.
"I'd be surprised if they go that far, because they never do," said
Peter
deFur, an environmental consultant in Richmond, Va., who has worked
extensively with federal health officials at Superfund hazardous waste
sites and closed military bases. "It's much more likely they're going
to
say, 'Well, we can't tell if these chemicals that are known to be
toxic
are affecting the health of the citizens.'"
Mier has lined up a group of public health officials and scientists,
including deFur, to review the completed study to ensure that the
researchers used the latest peer-reviewed methodology. He said he just
wants answers.
"If there's no problem, that's great," he said. "But why does our
region
lead the state with some of the highest rates of birth defects in the
state of Texas? Is it potentially because there is some association
with
some of these air emissions? When 70 percent of these birth defects
have
no known cause, and when they have done some studies that have already
ruled out a lot of things and there's nothing else left except the
environment, you begin to think 'Well, maybe there is something in the
environment. ' Is it the air emissions or is it something else? I want
those kinds of things answered."
A troubled history
For years, Ellis County has fended off criticism that pollution from
its
industries harms people and contributes significantly to air pollution
in
the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
At the center of the controversy are Midlothian's three cement kilns
--
TXI Operations, Ash Grove Cement and Holcim -- as well as the
Chaparral
Steel plant. The three cement kilns are among the largest sources of
industrial pollution in North Texas.
A visit in June 2005 from environmental crusader Erin Brockovich drew
national attention to the issue, but industry representatives
adamantly
deny that emissions from their operations have harmed anyone.
"I think that our operations certainly are protective of human health
and
the environment, " said Randy Jones, TXI's vice president of corporate
communications and government affairs.
Health statistics
It's not clear what conclusions state and federal health officials
will be
able to draw.
A Star-Telegram review of state health statistics shows that while
rates
of some diseases and birth defects in Ellis County exceed state rates,
they're not much worse than rates elsewhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth
area.
Consider these three major health indicators:
Cancer mortality: Ellis County's mortality rates per 100,000
population
for cancer, heart disease and chronic lower respiratory diseases were
much
higher than the state rate in 2004, according to the latest available
state health statistics. Those diseases are associated, to some
degree,
with exposure to hazardous air pollution. But the mortality rates in
Tarrant, Johnson and Kaufman counties also exceeded state rates for
all
three diseases.
Birth defects: Overall birth-defect rates in Ellis County were nearly
twice the state rate, and by far the highest in the 12-county Dallas-
Fort
Worth area in 2002, the latest year for which state statistics are
available. The state rate is 366 birth defects per 10,000 live births.
The
rate in Ellis County: 651.
Also, a state study of birth-defect rates in the 19-county region that
includes Ellis County found birth-defect rates that far exceeded
statewide
rates in 1999-2004.
State health officials researching the Midlothian study announced in
December 2005 that a preliminary review found that rates of one type
of
birth defect -- hypospadias and epispadias, which are misplaced
urinary
openings in males -- appeared to be high in Midlothian. That could be
significant because one suspected cause of the condition is
insufficient
male hormone influence, which studies have found can be disrupted by
certain toxic industrial substances.
Cancer cases: Lung cancer incidence rates in Ellis County exceeded
state
rates from 2000 to 2004, according to state records. But rates for all
cancers in Ellis were well below the state rate, and lower than rates
in
Tarrant, Dallas, Henderson, Hood, Hunt, Johnson and Kaufman counties.
State researchers working on the Midlothian health study also reported
in
late 2005 that a review of cancer incidence rates indicates that they
do
not appear to be an area of concern there.
Pollution assessment
The study
The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the
Texas
Department of State Health Services are investigating whether air
pollution in Midlothian is making people there sick. The study was
undertaken after Midlothian residents petitioned the federal agency to
investigate the issue. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry has no regulatory power and can only make recommendations.
Other studies
State officials reviewed environmental health studies published in the
past 15 years as part of the Midlothian health consultation. They
include:
A 1996 study by Peter Langlois, a senior epidemiologist with the Texas
Health Department, that found an unusually high number of babies in
Ellis
County were born with the developmental disorder Down syndrome.
A study published in 1995 that found three times more respiratory
illnesses in Midlothian -- home to most of Ellis County's industries
--
than in Waxahachie a few miles away. Led by Marvin Legator, an
environmental toxicologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch
in
Galveston, the study also found that the rate of cancer deaths in
Ellis
County was consistently higher than the rate in neighboring Tarrant
County.
What's next
After the health consultation is released to the public, there will be
a
60-day comment period in which residents can weigh in on the report,
make
suggestions, or correct errors in the study. After that, the comments
will
be reviewed, and the health consultation finalized.
More information
The state Health Department set up a Web site in 2005 to post progress
reports about the study, though it has not been updated in nearly two
years.
Online: www.dshs.state. tx.us/epitox/ midlothian/ midlothian. shtml
sstreater@star- telegram. com
SCOTT STREATER, 817-390-7657
By SCOTT STREATER
Star-Telegram staff writer
Map: Midlothian
http://www.star- telegram. com/metro_ news/story/ 322962.html
When news reports surfaced three years ago about industrial pollution
in
Midlothian, and its possible effects on health, Salvador Mier decided
to
investigate.
Mier, who until retiring in 1994 managed the Centers for Disease
Control
and Prevention's five-state regional office in Dallas, ordered every
report he could find. He and his wife, Grace, compiled boxes of data,
including health studies suggesting high birth-defect rates and high
cancer mortality rates. They found government reports documenting
industrial emissions of toxic mercury and dioxins.
"What we didn't find was a true health review on the effects of any of
this," he said.
So, in July 2005, Mier spearheaded a petition drive, got 371 people to
sign the document, and persuaded federal health officials to partner
with
the state and study whether pollution is making people sick in
Midlothian,
southeast of Fort Worth.
Mier and his neighbors will soon start to get some answers.
In December, federal and state health officials are expected to unveil
the
initial results of the two-year-plus study. The first part, to be
released
next month, will deal with the health effects from exposure to toxic
metals such as arsenic and mercury and to volatile organic compounds
such
as benzene, a known carcinogen. The second part, to be released next
year
at the earliest, will deal with health effects from ozone, lead,
particulate matter, carbon monoxide and sulfur oxides.
"Between the two parts we hope to answer questions the community has
about
potential health effects from the air they breathe," said Jennifer
Lyke, a
regional representative in the Dallas office of the federal Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
The agency and the Texas Department of State Health Services conducted
the
study.
But the study has already drawn criticism. That's because it was
limited
mostly to a review of existing air-quality data, health statistics and
a
few previous studies. And, despite the petition asking health
officials to
focus on pollution from the city's cement plants, the study deals with
air
pollution from all Midlothian sources: automobiles, off-road
construction
equipment and industry, said Susan Prosperie, manager of the health
assessment and toxicology group for the state Health Department. Some
environmental health experts warn not to expect much data connecting
pollution to illnesses in Midlothian.
"I'd be surprised if they go that far, because they never do," said
Peter
deFur, an environmental consultant in Richmond, Va., who has worked
extensively with federal health officials at Superfund hazardous waste
sites and closed military bases. "It's much more likely they're going
to
say, 'Well, we can't tell if these chemicals that are known to be
toxic
are affecting the health of the citizens.'"
Mier has lined up a group of public health officials and scientists,
including deFur, to review the completed study to ensure that the
researchers used the latest peer-reviewed methodology. He said he just
wants answers.
"If there's no problem, that's great," he said. "But why does our
region
lead the state with some of the highest rates of birth defects in the
state of Texas? Is it potentially because there is some association
with
some of these air emissions? When 70 percent of these birth defects
have
no known cause, and when they have done some studies that have already
ruled out a lot of things and there's nothing else left except the
environment, you begin to think 'Well, maybe there is something in the
environment. ' Is it the air emissions or is it something else? I want
those kinds of things answered."
A troubled history
For years, Ellis County has fended off criticism that pollution from
its
industries harms people and contributes significantly to air pollution
in
the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
At the center of the controversy are Midlothian's three cement kilns
--
TXI Operations, Ash Grove Cement and Holcim -- as well as the
Chaparral
Steel plant. The three cement kilns are among the largest sources of
industrial pollution in North Texas.
A visit in June 2005 from environmental crusader Erin Brockovich drew
national attention to the issue, but industry representatives
adamantly
deny that emissions from their operations have harmed anyone.
"I think that our operations certainly are protective of human health
and
the environment, " said Randy Jones, TXI's vice president of corporate
communications and government affairs.
Health statistics
It's not clear what conclusions state and federal health officials
will be
able to draw.
A Star-Telegram review of state health statistics shows that while
rates
of some diseases and birth defects in Ellis County exceed state rates,
they're not much worse than rates elsewhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth
area.
Consider these three major health indicators:
Cancer mortality: Ellis County's mortality rates per 100,000
population
for cancer, heart disease and chronic lower respiratory diseases were
much
higher than the state rate in 2004, according to the latest available
state health statistics. Those diseases are associated, to some
degree,
with exposure to hazardous air pollution. But the mortality rates in
Tarrant, Johnson and Kaufman counties also exceeded state rates for
all
three diseases.
Birth defects: Overall birth-defect rates in Ellis County were nearly
twice the state rate, and by far the highest in the 12-county Dallas-
Fort
Worth area in 2002, the latest year for which state statistics are
available. The state rate is 366 birth defects per 10,000 live births.
The
rate in Ellis County: 651.
Also, a state study of birth-defect rates in the 19-county region that
includes Ellis County found birth-defect rates that far exceeded
statewide
rates in 1999-2004.
State health officials researching the Midlothian study announced in
December 2005 that a preliminary review found that rates of one type
of
birth defect -- hypospadias and epispadias, which are misplaced
urinary
openings in males -- appeared to be high in Midlothian. That could be
significant because one suspected cause of the condition is
insufficient
male hormone influence, which studies have found can be disrupted by
certain toxic industrial substances.
Cancer cases: Lung cancer incidence rates in Ellis County exceeded
state
rates from 2000 to 2004, according to state records. But rates for all
cancers in Ellis were well below the state rate, and lower than rates
in
Tarrant, Dallas, Henderson, Hood, Hunt, Johnson and Kaufman counties.
State researchers working on the Midlothian health study also reported
in
late 2005 that a review of cancer incidence rates indicates that they
do
not appear to be an area of concern there.
Pollution assessment
The study
The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the
Texas
Department of State Health Services are investigating whether air
pollution in Midlothian is making people there sick. The study was
undertaken after Midlothian residents petitioned the federal agency to
investigate the issue. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry has no regulatory power and can only make recommendations.
Other studies
State officials reviewed environmental health studies published in the
past 15 years as part of the Midlothian health consultation. They
include:
A 1996 study by Peter Langlois, a senior epidemiologist with the Texas
Health Department, that found an unusually high number of babies in
Ellis
County were born with the developmental disorder Down syndrome.
A study published in 1995 that found three times more respiratory
illnesses in Midlothian -- home to most of Ellis County's industries
--
than in Waxahachie a few miles away. Led by Marvin Legator, an
environmental toxicologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch
in
Galveston, the study also found that the rate of cancer deaths in
Ellis
County was consistently higher than the rate in neighboring Tarrant
County.
What's next
After the health consultation is released to the public, there will be
a
60-day comment period in which residents can weigh in on the report,
make
suggestions, or correct errors in the study. After that, the comments
will
be reviewed, and the health consultation finalized.
More information
The state Health Department set up a Web site in 2005 to post progress
reports about the study, though it has not been updated in nearly two
years.
Online: www.dshs.state. tx.us/epitox/ midlothian/ midlothian. shtml
sstreater@star- telegram. com
SCOTT STREATER, 817-390-7657
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