FEDERAL & STATE AGENCY STUDIES
FACT SHEET
May 2010
Over a period of several years the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) have conducted extensive environment and health related studies in Calcasieu Parish and those located nearest the industrial facilities. Following are results of these studies are reported by the various agencies:
CANCER
- By law, the Louisiana Tumor Registry collects, analyzes and reports information on cancer in Louisiana. All of this information is available on the Tumor Registry website http://publichealth.lsuhsc.edu/tumorregistry/
- The Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals reports “There is no clear pattern indicating that Calcasieu Parish has any consistently higher rate for most cancers. The exceptions are Melanoma of the Skin for whites & Cancer of the lung for women”
- DHH also reports that “Dioxins are possible linked to some cancers but cannot yet be applied to Calcasieu”.
DIOXIN
A major study by the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of average serum (blood) level concluded that Toxic Equivalent Quotient (TEQ):
- No levels were found that linked to any potential health effects.
- Was the same for people who live in Calcasieu Parish and people who lived in Lafayette Parish.
- Was the same for people living in the industrial corridor, the industrial buffer and the outer ring in Calcasieu Parish.
- Was similar for people living in Calcasieu or Lafayette Parish and a group of people exposed to average levels of environmental dioxin.
- Calcasieu and Lafayette Parish residents who ate local fish, smoked cigarettes, worked in a job with exposure to dioxin, or used pesticides, had similar serum dioxin levels.
- The dioxin TEQ increased with age for people living in Calcasieu and Lafayette Parish.
- A small group of people (11%) who were older than 68 years of age in both parishes have serum dioxin TEQ levels higher than the average.
- African Americans in Lafayette Parish had higher serum dioxin levels than African Americans in Calcasieu Parish and whites in Lafayette Parish.
A one year study by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded:
- Dioxin in the air in Calcasieu Parish was 12.9 femtograms (1 x 10-18) per cubic meter compared to 11.7 femtograms measured in rural non-industrialized areas of the country. Much lower than expected by the agencies.
AIR QUALITY
- A 36 month study with five monitoring sites sample and analyzed for 104 different volatile organic compounds. The study was financed by LAIA, operated by an independent contractor with direct oversight by the EPA and the LDEQ (Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality).
- During the study over 80,000 data points were collected and analyzed with only two exceeding the standard. All other data was below the LDEQ ambient air standards.
- All data was below levels of health concern as established by the ATSDR, including the two data points that exceeded the standard.
- Ozone levels in Calcasieu Parish are in attainment with the old and newly established EPA Ozone Standard.
WATER
- Drinking Water:
- Drinking water is sampled, tested and analyzed by local municipalities as required by law.
- Test results consistently report that there is no industrial contamination in drinking water
- Calcasieu Estuary:
- A multiple agency study of the Calcasieu River Estuary found that 85% of the estuary was in good condition.
- The 15% of the estuary that needed attention was addressed by a task force consisting of representation from local & state government, federal and state agencies, the environmental community, academia, and business and industry. This group working in an open and collaborative manner reached agreement on how best to address the remediation of the estuary areas in question.
SEAFOOD
- Fish and shellfish in the Calcasieu Estuary are monitored voluntarily by industry following procedures approved by LDEQ and LDHH (Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals). The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Health and Hospitals issue public advisories when appropriate.
Following are links to the actual agency studies:
