Rock material from cuttings where natural gas was drilled from the Marcellus Shale formation in Pennsylvania is being hauled to New York to the Chemung County Landfill. These cuttings are naturally radioactive and the Chemung Landfill is not a licensed area for radioactive waste material.
Citizens in the community are being exposed to radioactive waste and there are much higher rates of lung an bladder cancer in Chemung than in other parts of the state. From 2003-2007, the county’s bladder cancer incidence rate for males was 49.5 percent higher than the state average, while the lung cancer rate was 27.0 percent higher, according to the New York State Cancer Registry. Toxins of radon gas have been released in to the air from drilling. Underground water may be affected from the landfill toxins, which is located 500 feet from a major aquifer.
Citizens are asking for testing to see how dangerous the landfills are, but so far tests have only been conducted by the Landfill owners.
Title: Pennsylvania Gas Drillers Dumping Radioactive Waste in New York
Publication: AlterNet
Date of publication: November 24, 2010
Author: Peter Mantius
Web Link:Â http://www.alternet.org/water/148962/pennsylvania_gas_drillers_dumping_radioactive_waste_in_new_york
Faculty Evaluator: Elaine Wellin
Student Researcher: Kristy Nelson