Published in the Asbury Park Press
By JEAN MIKLE
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
TOMS RIVER -- Will the final results of Dover Township's childhood cancer investigation, scheduled for release to the public tonight, help heal the deep divisions that surfaced in town since the study started in 1996?
The answer depends on who is asked.
"We need to begin to rehabilitate the township's image," said Township Committeeman John F. Russo Jr. "My worst fear is that it is going to be inconclusive, and that will not resolve anything."
Officials from the state Department of Health and Senior Services, who will present the report at a meeting scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m., have cautioned throughout the 5 1/2-year-old childhood cancer investigation that it is unlikely that direct links between environmental contamination and childhood cancer cases can be drawn.
Russo was elected in November 2000, almost five years after residents learned that a state health department report had raised concerns about higher-than-normal levels of childhood cancer in Dover. Russo, a Democrat, and his running mate, John M. Furey, included in their platform a pledge to restore the township's reputation, which they said had been battered by what they called Republicans' unwillingness to deal with the township's legacy of environmental contamination.
"I think any information about the health and safety and environmental conditions in our community is good information," Russo said yesterday. "At some point Dover Township is going to have to figure out how to promote the fact that this is a wonderful place."
Deep distrust
That may be difficult for the families of children with cancer. Many have a deep distrust of government officials that traces back to 1996, when family members often believed local elected officials were trying to downplay the childhood cancer levels.
When news of the state health department's report originally broke, Herbert Roeschke, who then headed the Ocean County Health Department, at first noted that the report was based on a small number of cases that should not necessarily be cause for alarm. Roeschke quickly amended his statement to one of concern, but it was too late.
Residents responded by picketing the health department, and, at an emotional public meeting that drew more than 1,200 people, would not let then-state Health Commissioner Len Fishman speak for more than 90 minutes.
Some business leaders also aroused the ire of the families when they raised questions about how such a study would affect Dover's real estate values and image. Township officials winced when Dover was portrayed as "Cancer Town" in one network news broadcast, while a New York news station showed a picture of an empty playground as an introduction to a Dover story titled, "Where have all the children gone?"
"Initially when it came out, the town took an incredible beating, both emotionally and economically," said Toms River lawyer Harvey L. York, who has represented many of the major developers here. "I had clients who said: 'This is a town with a water problem. Cancel my contract, and I'm not coming.' "
As the media interest in Dover waned, however, the initial concerns about the cancer investigation died down. Real estate values rebounded, and people continued to move to Dover, whose population soared from 76,000 to 89,700 in the 10 years from 1990 to 2000.
"We got past that," York said of the initial furor. He remains skeptical that the final study will be conclusive: "No one really knows what causes cancer. How can you find a solution to a problem if we don't know what causes it?"
Watchdogs' role
The Citizens Action Committee on Childhood Cancer Cluster, a citizens watchdog group, was formed immediately following that stormy meeting in early 1996, and Linda L. Gillick was chosen to head the group. For months after its formation, meetings of the citizens group were well-attended.
Over the years, state and federal officials have released an extraordinary amount of information to the community, including documenting past public exposures to polluted drinking water that entered Dover's public water system from Reich Farm and the former Ciba-Geigy Corp. Superfund sites.
Gillick said she is convinced that the investigation could have drift-ed off course if not for the con-stant prodding and intervention of the citizens group, which she be-lieves may have forced reluctant officials to release information to the public in a timely manner.
"I think this has taught us that it's really important for the communi-ty to have activists who stay fo-cused, who stay on top of these officials," Gillick said. "We need to be vigilant in watching and pro-tecting the public health."
Attendance at citizens committee meetings gradually fell off over the past two to three years as the investigation grew more involved. At recent meetings, officials from state and federal agencies and companies including Union Car-bide Corp. and Ciba Specialty Chemicals often outnumbered members of the public.
A meeting last night was attended by 40 people, including a few chil-dren.
"I have a general, overall disap-pointment in the lack of participa-tion from the community," said Kim Pascarella, a member of the citizens group who lost his daugh-ter, 14-month-old Gabrielle, to neurological cancer more than 10 years ago. "Hopefully, they'll see that this is not quackery. . . . The simple fact is, people should look at this as something that is wor-thy for them to follow up on."
It's better to know
But after nearly six years of study, many residents seem to believe that the investigation, no matter what its conclusion, has been a benefit to Dover.
"We may not have the best water in the world, but we certainly know what's in it," said Carmine C. Inteso Jr., a Republican who in January will be sworn in to his first term on the Township Com-mittee.
"What we're seeing is a benefit to the community because of the amount of research that has been done. . . . We certainly know what's in our water and what's in our air, for that matter."
Lucy Greene, president of the Toms River-Ocean County Cham-ber of Commerce, said business owners have continued to move to the township, undeterred by the investigation.
"I think people realize where they're coming from is not pris-tine," Greene said.
"We are the most checked-out and tested area in the country, and if everybody would do this, I think they would be in for a surprise."
Published on December 18, 2001
|
