105 They believed the clay in the soil would stop radioactive runoff so they only cleared vegetation to stop potential animal ingestion.14 This was again also deemed to be a minimal issue because the EPA determined that the risk of human contact from contaminated animals was minimal.24 However, the vegetation clearing increased soil erosion and likely led to further contamination of the river and surrounding areas.25 The other site that was left uncleared was possibly the most dangerous. Site 11 had cleanup efforts begin and thousands of tons of radioactive soil were disposed of, but the cleanup crews eventually hit the water table which flooded the worksite. Rather than find a solution the EPA decided to fill in the site even though there was radium in direct contact with groundwater.26 It is worth noting that the EPA did not think this would affect Ottawa residents because shallow groundwater is not used for drinking.24 However, a nearby creek could easily have been contaminated with runoff.26 These cost cutting measures not only have left the environment damaged, but may have a human cost. In 1997 the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry of the United States Public Health Service conducted a joint study of cancer rates in Ottawa to see whether the contaminated sites caused an increase in cancer rates. They broke up Ottawa into various “census tracts” and studied different types of cancer diagnoses and distance from the contaminated sites. They found higher than expected cancer rates throughout Ottawa with the 24 [Redacted], phone discussion with author to author, November 22, 2022. 25 ATSDR, Health Assessment, 9; Weston Solutions, Feasibility Study Report: NPL-8 Site, 13- 16; Weston Solutions, Risk Assessment, NPL-8 Site, 13-14. 26 Weston Solutions, NPL-II Site, 17-19.
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