Little Rock—In response to concerns of citizens in Prairie Grove, that they may be at increased risk for various cancers, the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is conducting an investigation. The agency is assessing confidential citizen health information collected at a public meeting in November and is analyzing environmental data from the Prairie Grove area.

The ADH follows the cancer and environmental health assessment guidelines used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in these types of investigations. The Arkansas Central Cancer Registry is verifying the reported cases of cancer from the community, medical facilities and other sources to determine the actual number of cases of cancer in Prairie Grove. Incidence and age-specific rates for Prairie Grove and Washington County will be calculated based upon the number of cancer cases. These rates will be compared with national figures to determine if there is an unexpected elevated rate of cancer.

The following activities have been completed at this time:

• The ADH has worked with the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission (AOGC) to determine if any of the existing water and/or gas wells in the Prairie Grove area are capable of releasing emissions that may potentially cause adverse health effects. Health Department environmental epidemiologists tested 14 wells and found low levels of volatile organic compounds, consistent with that found in natural gas, being released from a few of the wells but not at levels that would be expected to cause health effects.



• The AOGC also conducted additional samplings to determine if these few wells were capable of releasing hydrogen sulfide into the environment. None of the wells tested were found to have detectible levels of hydrogen sulfide. The AOGC had no record or knowledge of these wells prior to December 2001. The AOGC investigation is on-going.



• The Health Department inspected a local galvanizing plant to determine if inside air emissions were at acceptable levels. All levels were in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's guidelines. Sampling of storm water run-off from the site is also planned.



• Environmental epidemiologists are also reviewing records from the Southwest Fast Oxide Reactor in Stickler, and the University of Arkansas' low-level radioactive landfill located on Harmon Road in Fayetteville.
  
  
• The Health Department, in coordination with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, is also planning an inspection of the abandoned MagnaTech plant site to determine if a landfill exists on the site.

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