Cancer Towns in America: Some Locals are Fighting But Trump is Not Listening
Health and Science News Blog
If you ever travel on the highway connecting Houston, Texas to Louisiana you will not miss a large chunk of America's oil and chemical industries lining up on both sides of Interstate 10. Some of these plants were damaged and leaked contaminants in the aftermath of hurricane Harvey, creating havoc and concern among local residents. Today, authorities in the Texas city of Port Neches have issued an order encouraging its 50,000 residents to evacuate due to concerns over air quality after a pair of chemical plant explosions occurred last week. The blast sent a huge plume of smoke into the air that was visible for miles.
The explosion was the latest in a series of high-profile accidents this year up and down the Texas Gulf coast, which is home to the highest concentration of oil refineries in the country. In July, an explosion at an ExxonMobil refinery in Baytown left more than dozen people with minor injuries and put nearby residents under a shelter-in-place advisory for three hours.
The recurring explosions and leaks have renewed calls by coastal residents and critics for tougher industry oversight. In August, The Guardian invited civil rights leader Rev William Barber to the Reserve, Louisiana, on the banks of the Mississippi River where the people face the highest risk of cancer due to airborne toxins in the United States. Lending his support to their struggle, he said: 'When you poison the air … it is a form of idolatry. It is to worship money and to worship profit over people'
But the Trump administration, with help from Republicans in Congress, has targeted environmental rules it sees as burdensome to the oil, coal and chemical industries. A New York Times analysis, based on research from Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School and other sources, counted more than 80 environmental rules and regulations on the way out under President Trump. Also, TOXMAP, an interactive map that allowed public users to pinpoint sources of pollution, was pulled from the internet after 15 years by the Trump Administration.
But Texas and Louisiana are not alone in their exposure to harmful chemicals. For years, a stretch of highway in the populated state of New Jersey is nicknamed "cancer alley!" According to National Cancer Institute., New Jersey has one of the highest incidences of cancer in the nation, perhaps linked to the state's large chemical industry, which has resulted in the state being labeled by the media as "Cancer Alley."
According to National Cancer Institute, approximately 38.4% of American men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes. Estimated national expenditures for cancer care in the United States in 2017 were $147.3 billion. In future years, costs are likely to increase as the population ages and cancer prevalence increases. Costs are also likely to increase as new, and often more expensive, treatments are adopted as standards of care
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