[CPEO-MEF] NASA:cancer risk to hit the fan

[cpeo <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

California
Publication Date: Friday, January 24, 2003
NASA:cancer risk to hit the fan
By Gabe Friedman

The $1 billion NASA Research Park proposed for Moffett Field is planned
for an area with elevated cancer risks, according to a study released by
NASA last month.

But the space agency is planning to go forward with the development, and
aims to take construction measures to ensure that residents and workers
are safe, said Sandy Olliges, the NASA/Ames environmental coordinator.
These include an elaborate fan system that would blow toxic gas away
from homes.

Environmental health advocates commended NASA on the quality and honesty
of the report, but said they were surprised at the decision to develop
in an area where high levels of the carcinogen trichloroethene (TCE) are
present in ground water. Decades of Navy operations at the base leaked
the chemicals underground.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.mv-voice.com/thisweek/2003_01_24.enviro1.html

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