I spent awhile looking up stuff about the Cameron Tumors yesterday. I felt like I had a vested interest since we spent almost 2 years living in the community. We ministered to the people of that town and prayed for Cameron daily. Our prayers continue today.
Looking around on local newspapers and local news station information as well as other resources, I found out the following:
(
State environmental health officials disclosed the plan Thursday night at a community meeting attended by more than 150 worried residents. Local activists have identified 11 area residents afflicted with tumors since 2002.
The number could be much higher. After initially declining to disclose the number of tumor reports submitted, two officials who oversee the state's cancer registry and its cancer inquiry unit said they have received 20 to 40 reports indicating similar problems from area residents.
My thoughts:
Wow! The numbers are high according to the stats for the state cancer registry. All of these since 2002! I know that the tumors were going on before 2002 because the music ministered hired at the Cameron church to replace us developed a brain tumor a few years after we left in 1995. I believe we heard of the incident in 1999 when we moved back to Kansas City and went up to Cameron for a visit.
So what was this plan the CM reported? They are currently looking into any possible connections with the plant west of town and the tumors. If investigators from the EPA are looking into the plant, then there must be some reason why!
The water has been tested and there is nothing indicating that the water source was contaminated.
I thought about the plant and what types of industries were there. I looked into fiberglass insulation and what types of products they would have used at the plant. Nothing from the fiberglass manufacturing peeked interest from what I found. Remember also, it closed more than two decades ago.
It wasn't until 1992 that the plant was reopened as Midwest Hanger Co. I checked them out and found that they made wire coat hangers and other related products to sell to dry cleaners. I found some sort of report that showed emissions from the plant, but I couldn't decipher what it all meant, plus a lot of the data was missing.
When I began to look into the products used in that type of plant, especially when it came to coatings for wire hangers or even the things used to make the clear bags that go over dry cleaning garments... something rang a bell in my mind. Vinyl chloride. It is a known carcinogen!
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(oncologychannel.com) Exposure to vinyl chloride is an environmental risk factor for brain cancer. Vinyl chloride is a carcinogen, that is, a cancer-causing substance. It is used in manufacturing plastic products such as pipes, wire coatings, furniture, car parts, and housewares, and is present in tobacco smoke.
Manufacturing and chemical plants may release vinyl chloride into the air or water, and it may leak into the environment as a result of improper disposal. People who work in these plants or live in close proximity to them have an increased risk for brain cancer.
(Ohio Department of Heath)
Transparent vinyl bags, such as some companies make who supply hangers and related products to dry cleaners can use vinyl chloride in their production.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is used to make a
variety of plastic products
including pipes, wire and cable
coatings, and packaging
materials.
How does it get into your body? By breathing (inhalation) vinyl chloride
that has leaked from plastics industries,
hazardous waste sites, and landfills.
According to the Ohio Dept. of health site, you can test for vinyl chloride in your body via a breath test and a urine test, but they have to be performed shortly after exposure. If exposure to vinyl chloride is indeed the cause, many who have been long time residents are at risk!
***Also, according to the Ohio website, another symptom of vinyl chloride contamination is a condition of the blood where it fails to coagulate. I remember a friend of mine from Cameron who developed a a condition with her last two pregnancies that were born in the mid 1990's. She had what doctors called a “ blood platelet” problem where her blood was failing to coagulate! Could there be a link? Could her problem have possibly been a result of exposure to vinyl chloride?
I think I mentioned yesterday that this very topic of strange brain tumors occurring in Cameron had been a topic for many, many years among the residents. Our Christian friend even made the comment that there seemed to be a "curse" over Cameron- especially since some of the affected seemed to be at the church where we pastored.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
There seem to be a lot of dots connecting (at least in my mind) and I am glad that there are ongoing attempts to find the cause. Unfortunately, the damage for many has already been done and if the plant west of town is to blame... the search for the source comes a little too late. Thankfully, the plant closed down for good in 2003.
If vinyl chloride is NOT to blame, then we to continue to pray and trust God to make what is hidden known and to keep His hand of mercy over the city of Cameron, Missouri. God is still the healer! We uphold the churches and their pastors as they continue to minister to this community.
Blessings, friends and thank you for praying for the people of Cameron!
"but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God."
1 Corinthians 2:10 (NIV)
