Health risks are a big part of the negative aspects of phosphate mining. Manasota-88 has outlined some of these in the newsletter below.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
ManaSota-88, Inc. a 501.c3 Public Health and Environmental Organization
CANCER RISKS AND PHOSPHATE MINING
It is no secret that Florida laws minimize regulation so private corporations can maximize profits. This means that we manage risks rather than acting on a precautionary principle and preventing what we can.
According to the Florida Department of Health (HRS), cancer is the second leading cause of death in Florida as well as the United States. The lifetime probability of developing cancer is estimated at 1 in 3. Nearly one out of every four deaths in Florida are due to cancer.
The Florida Cancer Control and Research Advisory Council (CCRAB) periodically publishes the Florida Cancer Plan. The intent of this document is to include a description of the burden of cancer in Florida overall and for priority cancers.
Unfortunately, the Florida Cancer Plan is limited in its analyses making it inadequate and only touch’s the surface of the cancer problem in Florida. If analyzed appropriately, the cancer data incidence could represent an important source of information on the distribution and causation of cancer throughout the State; the use of this data needs to be expanded in both depth and direction.
The Florida Cancer Plan does not make any projections for the expected incidence of leukemia, bone cancer, liver cancer and chronic health effects from lifetime exposure to levels of radioisotopes in drinking water from wells on phosphate mined-out lands.
As the substantial cancer risks and other life shortening effects involved in living on these so-called reclaimed lands are better understood, it can be expected that phosphate mining and reclamation will continue to contaminate ground and surface water downstream of phosphate mining production sites. This is significant as more than 60,000 acres of land in Florida are expected to be mined in the future.
High concentrations of uranium isotopes can be expected in wastewater and groundwater in and downstream of phosphate sites and in wells and streams throughout reclaimed phosphate lands.
What is the expected incidence of leukemia, bone cancer, liver cancer and other effects from lifetime exposure to these levels of alpha emitting radioisotopes in drinking water? Permitting agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection do not consider the serious problem of ground water contamination from phosphate related activities.
The concentration of radioisotopes should be assessed in drinking water, vegetable foods and in dairy products of reclaimed phosphate lands. Standards for radionuclide concentrations of vegetation on grazing lands and crops should be developed.
The inhalation of airborne gypsum stack particulates is also a serious public health hazard. The specific activities of airborne gypsum stack tailings must be determined to assess their potential inhalation hazards.
Particulates from routine mining operations, transport of the rock and loading operations also create problems. Among other things, alpha particulates, thought to remain in the lungs for years, can cause death before cancer becomes evident.
When doing economic assessments associated with phosphate mining activities, deciding what is acceptable for having so many fatal cases of cancer – not to mention birth defects and cases, is never assessed. The costs and efforts of meeting requirements to protect the public health are justified costs of doing business particularly when you consider phosphate mining companies have historically been granted the “privilege” of dispersing hazardous constituents into our environment, where they may adversely affect people’s health and welfare for many, many decades.
Additionally, a Phosphate Environmental Impact Statement Update is Needed.
Please Write to:
Col. Brandon Bowman, District Commander Army Corps of Engineers
Jacksonville District
PO Box 4970 Jacksonville, FL 32232
brandon.l.bowman@usace.army.mil
The 2013 Phosphate Environmental Impact Statement is deficient in addressing the public health and environmental impacts of phosphate mining, fertilizer production and phosphogypsum waste disposal. An updated regional phosphate environmental impact statement is urgently needed before consideration is given to any additional phosphate mining permits.
