Childhood Leukemia Clusters in Fallon, Nv Field Hearing
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S. HRG. 107–318 CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA CLUSTERS IN FALLON, NV FIELD HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON RESPONSES BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ‘‘DISEASE CLUSTERS’’ RESULTING FROM POSSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS APRIL 12, 2001—FALLON, NV Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works ( VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:19 Jun 28, 2002 Jkt 078066 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6011 Sfmt 6011 H:\DOCS\78069 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA CLUSTERS IN FALLON, NV VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:19 Jun 28, 2002 Jkt 078066 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6019 Sfmt 6019 H:\DOCS\78069 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 S. HRG. 107–318 CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA CLUSTERS IN FALLON, NV FIELD HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON RESPONSES BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ‘‘DISEASE CLUSTERS’’ RESULTING FROM POSSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS APRIL 12, 2001—FALLON, NV Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 78–069 PDF WASHINGTON : 2002 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:19 Jun 28, 2002 Jkt 078066 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 H:\DOCS\78069 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION BOB SMITH, New Hampshire, Chairman HARRY REID, Nevada, Ranking Democratic Member JOHN W. WARNER, Virginia MAX BAUCUS, Montana JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma BOB GRAHAM, Florida CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio BARBARA BOXER, California MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho RON WYDEN, Oregon LINCOLN CHAFEE, Rhode Island THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, New York BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado JON S. CORZINE, New Jersey DAVE CONOVER, Republican Staff Director ERIC WASHBURN, Democratic Staff Director (II) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:19 Jun 28, 2002 Jkt 078066 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 H:\DOCS\78069 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 CONTENTS Page APRIL 12, 2001—FALLON, NV OPENING STATEMENTS Clinton, Hon. Hillary Rodham, U.S. Senator from the State of New York ........ 8 Ensign, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from the State of Nevada ................................ 4 Gibbons, Hon. Jim, U.S. Representative from the State of Nevada .................... 5 Reid, Hon. Harry, U.S. Senator from the State of Nevada .................................. 1 WITNESSES Beardsley, Tammy, Fallon, NV .............................................................................. 12 de Braga, Marcia, Assemblywoman ....................................................................... 9 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 66 Falk, Henry, assistant administrator, Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, Atlanta, GA .......................................................................................... 47 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 143 Gross, Brenda, Fallon, NV ...................................................................................... 11 Guinan, Mary, MD., Ph.D., Nevada State Health Officer .................................... 27 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 160 Guinn, Hon. Kenny, Governor, State of Nevada ................................................... 5 Hearne, Shelley, executive director, Trust for American’s Health ...................... 53 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 202 McGinness, Hon. Mike, State Senator, Nevada .................................................... 7 Naughton, R.J., Rear Admiral, Fallon Naval Air Station, Fallon, NV; accom- panied by Captain D.A. ‘‘Roy’’ Rogers, Commander .......................................... 30 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 167 Prescott, Stephen, MD., Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah ......... 14 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 151 Sinks, Thomas, associate director for Science, National Center for Environ- mental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA .... 49 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 196 Tedford, Hon. Ken, Mayor, Fallon, NV .................................................................. 32 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 171 Responses to frequently asked questions about Churchill County Leu- kemia Cases ................................................................................................... 174 Todd, Randall, State Epidemiologist, Nevada State Health Division ................. 25 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 166 Trovato, E. Ramona, director, Office of Children’s Health Protection, Environ- mental Protection Agency, Washington, DC ...................................................... 51 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 198 Washburn, Gwen, commissioner, Churchill County, NV ..................................... 34 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 172 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL Letters: Bobb, Bonnie Eberhardt ................................................................................... 102 Churchill Economic Development Authority .................................................. 191 Fallon Auto Mall ............................................................................................... 191 Shepherd Miller, Inc ......................................................................................... 222 Shundahai Network ......................................................................................... 205 Recommendations, Water Sampling Practices, Nevada State Health Lab ..................................................................................................................... 179–189 (iii) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:19 Jun 28, 2002 Jkt 078066 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 5905 Sfmt 5905 H:\DOCS\78069 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 iv Page Reports: Bench Scale Test Results for Arsenic in Fallon, NV, Shepherd Miller, Inc .................................................................................................................. 278 General Accounting Office, Health, Education, and Human Services Divi- sion, Washington, DC................................................................................ 105–150 Groundwater Sampling and Analysis of Fallon, NV, and Naval Air Sta- tion, Shepherd Miller, Inc......................................................................... 321–594 Leukemia Hearings, Fallon, NV, February 12–14, 2001 ............................. 67–102 Pew Environmental Health Commission ........................................................ 207 Treatment Technologies for Arsenic in Fallon, NV ....................................... 233 Statements: Reid, Mary E., area specialist, Water Resources, University of Nevada, Cooperative Extension .................................................................................. 190 Savitz, David A., Environmental Exposures and Childhood Cancer ............ 152 Study, Household Solvent Exposures and Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia........................................................................................................... 154–160 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:19 Jun 28, 2002 Jkt 078066 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 5905 Sfmt 5905 H:\DOCS\78069 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA CLUSTERS IN FALLON, NV THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2001 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS, Fallon, NV. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:00 a.m., at the Fallon Convention Center, 100 Campus Way, Fallon, NV, Hon. Harry Reid (acting chairman of the committee) presiding. Present: Senators Reid, Ensign, and Clinton. Also present: Representative Gibbons. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. HARRY REID, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEVADA Senator REID. The United States Committee on Environment and Public Works is called to order. First of all, I’d like to welcome everyone here. This is what we call a field hearing. I’m particularly thankful for the support that we’ve gotten from the community in Fallon. It’s been a lot of work to put this together and the hosts have worked very hard to pro- vide this facility for us and to work with the staffs of the various Members of Congress who are concerned about what’s taking place in Fallon. This has been a community effort, as I mentioned. All local officials have been cooperative, and especially the parents of the children who are sick. I’m fortunate today to have with me my two colleagues from Ne- vada, Senator Ensign and Representative Gibbons. Senator Clinton will be here shortly. Her plane is about to land. When she arrives, I’ll say a couple things