OTSEGO (WKZO AM/FM) — Five different health and environmental agencies are combining forces to crunch the data and determine whether there is a cancer cluster in the Otsego area.
It began when Mary Zack noticed that alot of the former classmates she spoke to were ether battling cancer or had relatives who were.
They are exploring whether its the result of industrial pollution from paper plants that closed years ago. Plants that may have left poisons behind in the soil, the air and the water.
It has yet to be determined whether a cancer cluster exists, but they intend to find out.
The County Health Department is doing water testing to determine if that is the source.
They have set up a recorded phone hotline and a web page for information. They plan another community meeting in the next 30-days to talk about next steps.
The message is available on 1-269-673-5411. Links to resources and details about the next meeting will be announced at http://www.allegancounty.org as soon as they are available.
