Government Suppresses Major Public Health Report

[flashl]

This article originally appeared on Health Beat.

The Center for Public Integrity, a public interest investigative journalism organization, has obtained copies of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study of environmental and health data in eight Great Lakes states that was scheduled for publication in July 2007. The report, which pointed to elevated rates of lung, colon, and breast cancer; low birth weight; and infant mortality in several of the geographical areas of concern has not yet been made public.

A few days before the report was slated to be released, it was pulled. Meanwhile, at precisely the same time, its lead author, Christopher De Rosa, has been removed from the position he held since 1992. The Center for Public Integrity is asking why.

The study, "Public Health Implications of Hazardous Substances in Twenty-Six U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern" was developed by the CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) at the request of the International Joint Commission, an independent U.S-Canadian organization that monitors and advises both governments on the use and quality of boundary waters.

...

The study does not try to prove cause and effect. Instead, it outlines areas for further study and data collection on the link between pollution and health.

AlterNet

[mojowork_n]

1. I saw that story, there's a little more at this link:

From Milwaukee's weekly news alternative, the Shepherd Express:

http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-849-downer-avenue-projectrss-details-fill-in.html

report...the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has buried—“reportedly because it contains such potentially ‘alarming information’ as evidence of elevated infant mortality and cancer rates” in the Great Lakes region. The report claims that more than 9 million people—including those in Milwaukee—may face increased health risks from being exposed to dioxin, PCBs, pesticides, lead, mercury and other pollutants. Exposure can lead to low birth weights, or elevated death rates from breast cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer.

Dan Kohler, of the environmental watchdog group Wisconsin Environment, said it was “outrageous” that the report was blocked. You can read it here:

http://www.publicintegrity.org/GreatLakes/index.htm

EDIT -- PS, the current, print edition of The "UTNE Reader" magazine also has a great round-up of government services, watchdog agencies, and general interest/consumer/business reports that have been curtailed by the Bush administration. I think the article title is "George hits Delete." Small, minute fractions of a percentage of the Federal Budget "saved," in order to bury "damaging" information, again.