'Alarming' elevated cancer risk in South Seattle linked to air pollution

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By ROBERT McCLURE
P-I REPORTER

Residents of a broad swath of South Seattle from Seward Park to West Seattle face elevated cancer risks because of air pollution, according to a soon-to-be released government study.

The risks are significantly elevated in pockets of industrial pollution – and skyrocket within about 200 yards of highways, says the long-awaited study by state and federal scientists.

Even miles from factories and major freeways, cancer risks appear to be elevated when people breathe wood smoke from chimneys, says the study, believed to be the first of its kind in Washington.

"It's alarming; it's a shock," said Georgetown civic activist Kathy Nyland, who stumbled onto a prerelease version of the study on the Internet this week and lives in one of the most polluted neighborhoods.