State should do the Grumman plume cancer study

In the 11 years since the state Department of Health last studied the health impacts of the contaminated Grumman site in Bethpage, the toxic plume has moved south at a rate of about a foot a day — more than 4,000 feet in all. The cleanup remains slow and incomplete. And contractors have made new, disturbing discoveries, including enormous drums filled with chemicals and encased in concrete — drums that state Department of Environmental Conservation officials previously said did not exist.

It’s no wonder area residents and local elected officials are worried. But despite those concerns, state Department of Health officials say they have no plans to conduct further studies regarding alleged high rates of cancer among those living next to or near the Grumman site.

That’s the wrong call.

The 2013 study, which found that incidents of cancer did not outpace what would normally be expected, was limited in its scope and analysis. It focused on only a small geographic area, failed to match or coordinate residents’ individual reported cancer cases with available state data, and lacked significant research or interviewing beyond a superficial look at that data. On top of that, the study is now old and outdated.

A new, definitive analysis is warranted. To be clear, that also might not provide the answers residents seek. It’s extraordinarily difficult to prove causation between the toxicity of a site like Grumman’s and local cancer cases. There are significant limitations on these kinds of cancer cluster investigations.

Still, a new study would help show whether there’s an outsized number of cancer cases in the area and what steps might be taken to minimize cases going forward or otherwise address residents’ concerns. Even an agreement to study the issue again would be important because up to now, residents with understandable worries have been dismissed and ignored again and again.

As of now, the state Health Department is taking a familiar tack. In a conversation with the Newsday editorial board, Health Department officials emphasized that there have been no new exposures, that the drinking water is analyzed regularly and has been clean, that the newly-discovered drums have been safely sealed, and that there’s nothing to “warrant a new study.”

In other words, state officials are continuing to dismiss the fears and concerns of residents when history and new developments suggest they should address those worries.

State officials also told the editorial board that money was not a factor, although they could not provide the cost for such a study. If finances are not an issue, there’s no reason not to update the work. A valid and comprehensive study might not answer every question, allay every fear, or provide the certainty residents seek. But any information gleaned is worth learning to bring some relief to the residents of Bethpage who have lived with uncertainty for too long.